


The Courage of Stars

by carryaworld



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Kuron is his clone, M/M, Mostly Canon Compliant, Pidge is an awesome friend, Pining, Post Season 5, Shiro is MIA, lots of pining, starts out angsty, the paladins are a family, there's some background Alluralance, will eventually get to the fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-03-30 11:33:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13950693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carryaworld/pseuds/carryaworld
Summary: Keith has to come to terms with his mother reentering his life, and it prompts him to return to his found family, the paladins. But something isn't right with Shiro, and Keith realizes that he can't do this alone.(contains spoilers for season 5)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is basically my take on what's gonna happen after season 5, and how I wanna see this reunion go down. Stay tuned for the ride, should be fun! :)

“You’re my mother,” Keith said, and it was more a question than a statement. 

“Yes, Keith,” Krolia said, just the tiniest hit of exasperation coloring her tone. She thought it would have been easy for him to grasp, she had essentially spelled it out for him. 

But Keith had been hurt getting his hopes up far too many times to fall easily into that trap, regardless of how many signs there were. This, this was a punch to the gut. He took a step back, and then another, trying to put distance between himself and the overwhelming wave of emotions that was cresting far above his head. 

“You left,” Keith accused, and was ashamed that he could hear the threat of tears in his own voice. “You left me.” 

He refused to see the heartbreak in Krolia’s eyes, refused to acknowledge that her brows furrowed the same way his did when he was upset. So many years of internalized anger and hurt were not so simple to let go of. 

“I won’t leave again,” she said with quiet fire. 

Keith wanted her to mean it with every fiber of his being, but for now he couldn’t be sure. He retreated to the pilot’s seat and slid forward, taking all the space he could get. She let him do it, and remained where she was as he fixed his gaze determinedly on the space outside their craft. Dealing with his emotions would have to wait until he was no longer trapped in a tin can with his long lost mother. 

***

“Did you know?” Keith demanded, in Kolivan’s face within moments of setting foot on base. 

It was hilarious really, how much taller Kolivan was than Keith, but Keith couldn’t find it in himself to be amused just then. 

“Know what?” Kolivan asked calmly, his stern gaze settling firmly on Keith’s shoulders. 

“That you were sending me in for my mother,” Keith gritted out, fists clenched at his sides. 

“Kit,” Kolivan said, and then sighed when Keith continued to glower. “I had a hunch, that was all. It’s been years since I’ve seen Krolia,” Kolivan admitted. 

Keith crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the fact that it made him look like a petulant child. 

“Keith,” Kolivan said more firmly. “Go rest. I will speak with Krolia.” 

When Keith didn’t move immediately, Kolivan gave him a gentle shove, and one of the other Blades escorted him down the hallway to his room. Everyone on base knew that Keith had a bad habit of not sleeping enough unless he was forced. 

The moment Keith disappeared, one of the shadows peeled away to stand next to Kolivan. 

“He’s so angry,” Krolia said, voice heavy with resignation. 

“He’s upset,” Kolivan corrected without even looking over. “Keith has not had the easiest time of it, and he is your son, after all. He feels things strongly.” 

Krolia sighed through her nose. “That would figure. I should not have left him.” 

“You did what you thought was right,” Kolivan said neutrally. 

“But I was wrong, Kolivan. I was so wrong,” she hissed.

Kolivan turned, fixing her with a look. “There is no right and wrong in war, Krolia. You know this,” he chided. 

Krolia’s chin jutted out stubbornly. Kolivan was forced to swallow his exasperation, because god now there are two of them, and they’re going to age me before my time. 

“I know you never intended for him to be a part of the war, but it was fate and you can’t fight that. Keith is a Blade of Marmora, and he is a paladin of Voltron. We need him Krolia,” Kolivan sighed. “He was meant for this.” 

“He should have had his mother,” Krolia said, and Kolivan saw the heart of the issue. 

“Keith is not out of your reach yet. It will take time, perhaps, but I believe you can earn his trust. He is prickly, yes, but he was made for love at his core,” Kolivan said kindly. 

“When did you become a waxing poet, cousin?” Krolia sniped without heat.

Kolivan shrugged nonchalantly, a gesture he’d learned from the paladins. “Get some rest, Krolia. We shall deal with your unruly offspring tomorrow.” 

Krolia snorted. “If he’s unruly, it’s because you’ve failed to teach him discipline.” 

Kolivan gave her a deadpan look. “Yes, you have a go at disciplining him. He’s far too much like you,” Kolivan said dryly, and departed the room before Krolia could get a word in. 

***

Keith slept fitfully, his dreams haunted by a powerful sense of loss and loneliness. When he finally gave up and put his feet on the floor, the consequences of the previous day washed over him. His mother was there, in the flesh. A breath shuddered through him and he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes as if it could keep the tears at bay. It was everything he’d hoped for since he was small, but… how could he forgive her? How could he trust that she wouldn’t leave again? 

The last person he’d put his faith in… Keith physically shook himself and got to his feet. Now was not the time to dwell on Shiro. 

Krolia found him on the training mats, blade a blur as he trained with one of his comrades, sweat dripping from his face. 

“Keith,” she called, and was not surprised that he ignored her. 

His sparring partner hesitated, and got walloped for it. She lingered, watching, and it made Keith uncomfortable. He continued ignoring her, and eventually she left as quietly as she’d come. It became a dance between the two of them: Krolia seeking and Keith evading her at every turn. This went on for days, much to Kolivan’s annoyance, but Keith simply wasn’t ready, and Krolia respected that. She settled in to wait, always leaving him an out when she approached. She’d been absent from his life too many years, it was only right that she be willing to wait as long to earn back his trust. 

That wasn’t to say that it didn’t sting every time she entered a room and he flinched. Krolia was, after all, Keith’s mother, and she felt her mistake as the deep cut it was. But she kept trying, until one day he didn’t leave the room as soon as she entered it. 

“We should talk,” Keith said, low and uncertain. 

“Yes,” she agreed, and they walked. 

It amazed her that her son was so small, especially as Keith had to tilt his head way far back to sneak peeks at her. 

“You want to know why I left,” she said bluntly, making Keith tense beside her. 

“Yes,” he said softly, dropping his gaze.  
Krolia took a breath, considering her words carefully. The only thing she could give him was the truth. 

“It was the only way I knew to protect you and your father. I was a Blade, I could see the way this war was going. It was just a matter of time before the Galra made it to Earth.” Her eyes glazed over as she recalled a time that Keith couldn’t remember no matter how hard he tried. “If I could do something to ensure your safety….” 

Keith’s heart constricted and he was forced to look away from the intense way her eyes glittered. It scared him to look at her and see such an essential part of himself reflected back. The part of him that would go to the ends of the universe for the people he loved. It struck him then, how much he missed his fellow paladins, and how much he missed Shiro. His found family, who meant as much to him as the blood family that stood beside him. 

Krolia stopped as Keith drew a harsh breath, his eyes welling. She reached out and drew him into a hug, and Keith was too shaken to resist the warm comfort that he’d gone too long without. Keith leaned his head on her chest and let the tears flow freely. He was a long way from being okay and from trusting her, but it was a start. 

***

“Keith, why are you fidgeting?” Krolia asked, her gaze snapping over to where Keith was tapping on the console. 

“I’m not--” he tried, and settled sullenly back in his seat when she arched an eyebrow at him. 

Keith had very mixed feelings at being parented at nineteen. He tried to wait her out, there was plenty of time left in their flight to the castle of lions, but she was as stubborn as he was. 

“Fine,” he snapped. “You remember what I told you about the paladins?”

They’d had a very long talk about Keith’s friends, and how he’d become a paladin of Voltron. Keith had, however, left some things out. Things he hadn’t felt ready to share.

“Of course. Allura is the Altean princess, which I already knew. Hunk is a foodie and the voice of reason. Lance is a goofball but also the glue, and Pidge is the tech genius. Shiro is the leader, and you’ve known him the longest,” Krolia recited. 

Keith rubbed a hand of his face. “Shiro is… Shiro means a lot to me. But I messed up. I couldn’t lead the way he wanted me to, and we disagreed, so I left for the Blades permanently.” 

Krolia’s brows furrowed into a frown. It still sent shockwaves through Keith to see his own expressions on someone else.

“That does not sound like the Shiro you told me of,” she said. Shiro, she’d found, Keith spoke of with a gleam in his eyes. And boy, did Keith have a lot to say about Shiro. 

Keith lifted his shoulders in an unhappy shrug. “I messed up, that’s all,” he said quietly.

Krolia wanted to disagree, but resisted the urge. She’d meet this Shiro soon enough, and exact her judgment of the man who’d clearly stepped on Keith’s heart. 

***

“Keith!” Pidge shrieked the second Keith stepped onto the bridge. 

Keith barely managed to stay upright as she barreled into him, but managed a small smile as he returned her hug. 

“Hey Pidge,” he murmured. 

Pidge’s flying attack seemed to break whatever tension had been lingering on the deck. Allura plastered a smile on her face where she stood close to Lance. 

“Welcome back, Keith,” she said earnestly. 

“Took you long enough, did you think you were too good to visit us?” Lance sniffed, earning a gentle elbow from Hunk. 

“What he means is, he missed you, but he’d rather chew on nails than speak the words,” Hunk translated with an easy smile. 

“Sounds about right,” Keith said, accepting Hunk’s hug. “Where is Shiro?” he asked, glancing around. 

Allura wouldn’t meet his eyes, and the rest of the paladins looked uneasy. “Shiro took a walk to cool off. He’ll be back shortly. What do you need from us?”

Keith frowned, but set the weirdness aside from later. “Well, I missed you guys,” he admitted, earning himself a side hug from Pidge. “But I also wanted you guys to meet someone.” 

He turned, drawing the paladins attention with him, as Krolia stepped onto the deck. She’d insisted that he properly reunite with his friends before she joined him. 

Allura curious voice broke the silence, “You’re a Blade, but I can’t say that I’ve met you before.” 

Keith smiled wryly. “Guys, this is Krolia. She’s… she’s my mother.” 

Krolia’s face was impassive as she withstood the gaping, but Keith thought he caught a glimpse of warmth in her gaze. 

Lance coughed so hard that Hunk had to thump him on the back. “She’s your what?” 

Pidge leaned back and back and back to be able to look up at Krolia. And then she burst out laughing so hard that she nearly fell over. 

“Is it really that hard to believe, Lance? She looks just like Keith, except you know, a lot taller,” Pidge wheezed. 

“I’m not that short!” Keith protested. 

Krolia hid her pleasure over the fact that her son took after her so much, even if he was, as Pidge said, rather short. 

Lance peered at her. “Oh wait, the hair. Yeah, definitely Keith’s mom.” 

“Lance!” Allura exclaimed, aghast. 

Hunk buried his face in his hands as both Keith and Krolia narrowed their eyes at Lance. “Just… just ignore him. It’s been a rough couple days,” Hunk said. 

Keith looked between them. “What’s been going on?” he asked, a tinge of concern coloring his tone. 

“The better question is, what hasn’t happened lately,” Pidge grumbled. 

“How about we head down to the lounge, and maybe Hunk can whip up some snacks for us while we catch up?” Allura interjected diplomatically. 

“Sure thing!” Hunk said, and led the migration downstairs, Keith and Krolia bringing up the rear. 

Keith couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith settles back into the paladin family and introduces Krolia to Shiro, who Keith grows increasingly concerned about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to put this up Friday, but since I am at the whim of other people for my spring break I figured I'd post it when I had two seconds of peace. So here it is! I'm shooting for two chapters a week, Mondays and Fridays, but I might get impatient and do more ;) depends on my free time. Enjoy!

Keith looked over the moment Shiro entered the room, the familiar footsteps in the hallway having alerted him. Between their time at the Garrison and on the castle ship, Keith had unconsciously committed the distinct pattern of Shiro’s walk to memory.

The rest of the team was scattered across the couches, and Pidge had engaged Krolia in conversation on the far side of the lounge. He knew his friends were curious, but so far they’d been polite about their questions. It may have been due to the fact that Allura had a firm grasp on the collar of Lance’s shirt. Coran, he’d been told, was somewhere going through the archives with Lotor. 

Knowing that Lotor could roam free in the castle sent uneasy tendrils through Keith, but he shook them off as he stood to greet Shiro. 

“Hey Shiro,” he said quietly, and somehow still managed to draw the attention of the entire room. 

Shiro dipped his chin in an acknowledging nod, expression impassive. “Keith. Back for good?” 

Keith blinked, and the quiet chatter in the room cut off abruptly as everyone hushed to listen to the interaction. While Shiro’s lack of contact had been telling, Keith couldn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of such coldness from his oldest friend. Where Keith would have expected a welcome back hug, he got a blank stare. He couldn’t help it, he shrunk back, shoulders lifting in a defensive shrug. 

“He’s staying as long as he wants,” Pidge interjected, moving to stand at Keith’s side. 

Lance leaned over the back of the couch. “What do you mean he’s staying, ‘as long as he wants?’” he squawked, and before Pidge could throttle him, he added, “He’s staying permanently.” 

Keith looked between the two of them, and then at Hunk, who was smiling softly. His family. Something welled deep in his chest, and it was not the first time that week that Keith felt like crying. Saying that he was overwhelmed would be a gross understatement. Frankly, Keith felt like he was drowning in the unexpected outpouring of love that he was receiving. 

As focused as he was on his friends, Keith missed the unpleasant way that Shiro’s eyes flashed for just a second, but Lance did not. Lance filed it away as just another thing on the list to bring Keith up to speed on. 

“Oh,” Keith said, and turned to find Krolia’s amused gaze on him. “Shiro, this is Krolia, my mother. M-Krolia, this is Shiro.”

Krolia stepped forward to stare down Shiro, and Keith was stunned to realize that she had an inch or more on the black paladin. Her eyes were narrowed as she examined Shiro, who looked cowed. 

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you?” Shiro stammered, barely resisting the urge to take a step back. 

“Hmph,” Krolia said, and turned away. 

Keith frowned at her, but she ignored him, leaving Shiro confused and the rest of the paladins gaping.

“Krolia, may I take you on a tour of the castle?” Allura neatly cut in, and led her away when Krolia accepted the offer. 

Shiro shook his head to clear it, brows furrowing into a face Keith had never seen on him. “I’m going to go check in with Lotor and Coran,” he said, and departed without another word. 

Keith didn’t realize his hands were trembling until it was just him, Pidge, Lance, and Hunk. Whatever he’d been expecting from Shiro meeting his mother… it wasn’t that. Shiro was the only one who knew and understood just how big of a moment this was for Keith. How many invisible wounds his mother had given him when she left, wounds that Shiro’s gentle presence had gone a long way toward healing.

“Keith? Are you okay?” Pidge asked, tugging lightly on his elbow. 

Keith looked up from where he’d been staring at his hands. “I… I don’t really know,” he admitted finally, voice barely more than a whisper. 

Pidge frowned at him and sat him down on the couch. Lance tumbled gracelessly into the spot on the other side of him, not at all paying attention to where he deposited his lanky limbs.

“How long have you known about your mother?” Lance asked earnestly. If there was one thing Lance could be serious about, it was family. 

“A couple days I guess?” Keith admitted. “Kolivan sent me to extract an agent, and she turned out to be my mother.” 

Hunk leaned against the back of the couch and passed Keith an orange space muffin. “You didn’t know anything about her, did you?” he asked gently. 

“No.” Keith said flatly. 

For a long moment he considered not telling them anything more than that. But no, Keith was learning. He had learned, in his time with the Blades, how little he’d allowed his friends into his life. And he regretted it, especially after the way they brought him back into the family with no questions asked. 

“She left me,” Keith rasped finally, and even so many years later, the words hold a bitter sting. “She says she’ll never leave again, but how can I trust that?” 

Frustration had his fists clenching again, nails digging into his calloused palms. Keith flinched, then let out a breath as three warm forms settled on him in a tangle of arms. It’d been far too long since he’d been at the receiving end of a paladin group hug. 

“I think you should give her a chance,” Pidge murmured, and Lance hummed his agreement. “She seems a lot like you, and I think you’d regret it if you let her go.” 

“You’re probably right,” Keith mumbled. “I don’t know that I can stay here though, guys. Shiro and I haven’t been getting along lately.” 

His friends slowly peeled off of him, mouths set unhappily. Lance in particular was frowning, his face scrunched together in a way that Keith wasn’t used to. 

“About that…” Lance said uneasily. “Shiro… Shiro hasn’t been himself.”

Keith shifted in his seat so that he could see all three of them at once. “What do you mean? He’s upset with me, that’s all.” 

“Keith, he yelled at Lance,” Pidge cut in sharply. “He keeps making decisions ‘as the leader of Voltron’ that the rest of us don’t agree with, and he argues with Allura all the time.” 

“It’s only sometimes,” Hunk amended, fair as always. “Most of the time he seems fine.”

“He’s probably just having a hard time, Shiro’s been through a lot,” Keith defended him. 

Lance sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He told me he’s been having headaches and that he doesn’t feel like himself. I thought he was having a rough day, but something weird happened when we had to mind meld on that one planet.” 

Keith waited as Lance told them about the mind meld, and how Shiro remembered none of it. “I’ll talk to him,” Keith said. Or he’d at least try. 

“Oooh, Keith, did Pidge tell you about about the robot we modified on the Galra base?” Hunk asked, neatly changing the subject to something lighter. 

Lance leaned back in his seat and cackled, the sound shook Keith to his very core. Lance’s laugh belonged in a horror movie. Pidge pushed her glasses back up her nose, eyes glittering. 

“Oh, Keith, you should have seen it. It was incredible,” she said excitedly, and Keith found himself laughing along as Pidge recounted their antics, with input from both Hunk and Lance. 

“God I wish I could have seen that. I missed you guys,” Keith admitted softly. 

Lance punched his shoulder. “We missed you too, idiot.”

***

Allura stole a sideways glance at Krolia. “I’ll admit, I never anticipated meeting any of Keith’s family. We were always under the impression that Shiro was the only one…” 

Krolia sighed deeply, her eyes crinkled unhappily at the corners. “I am afraid that I made a poor choice. Kolivan insists that I did what I had to, but I can’t help but regret how deeply I have injured him.” 

“May I ask why you made that choice?” Allura asked hesitantly. The loss of a parent was painfully familiar to her, and to see a lost parent returned—she couldn’t help but be curious. Keith’s heritage was a mystery that had intrigued them all.

“Keith told me that your father put you in cryosleep when it seemed that a loss to Zarkon was inevitable,” Krolia mused quietly. 

“Yes, that is correct,” Allura replied, discomfort making her voice rather more remote than usual. 

Krolia nodded as if this confirmed something. “He did it to protect you,” she thought aloud, her careful words floating up into the cavernous space above them. “No parent ever wants to see that kind of threat hanging over their children, the threat of an intergalactic war.” 

Allura surveyed their surroundings as she processed that. “You wanted to end this war so that he could grow up safely,” she realized, turning to meet Krolia’s intense eyes. 

“He deserves to have a happy life,” Krolia murmured. “I failed him in that regard, we shall see if he will yet forgive me for it.” 

Allura slowed to a halt when they reached the bridge, staring out at the expanse of space before them. “I confess, I do not know Keith as well as Shiro does. I have learned though, that Keith rarely does anything for himself. He’s by far one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and even now I can see how much he’s grown into himself.” 

She offered Krolia a small smile. “Perhaps if you are very patient, and take the time to understand him, he will come to trust that you are here to stay.” 

Krolia’s gaze was thoughtful as it settled on Allura. “Your father would be proud of you, you’ve grown into quite the leader.” 

Allura ducked her head, blinking fiercely to clear the sudden moisture from her eyes. “I hope so,” she whispered. “I really hope so.”

***

Keith knocked on Shiro’s door and tried to force some of the tension out of his shoulders. This was Shiro, there was nothing he needed to worry about, other than Shiro himself. The more Keith heard from the other paladins, the more worried he became. The door opened and familiar gray eyes met his, tired but curious. 

“Keith?” Shiro inquired, stepping back to allow Keith into his room. 

“Hey,” Keith mumbled, ducking inside as Shiro closed the door behind him. 

“What’s up?” Shiro asked, plopping down on the edge and patting the spot next to him for Keith to join him.

The gesture was so familiar that Keith let out the breath that he’d been holding. Whatever was going on with Shiro, this was still the friend that he knew. 

“I just… I wanted to ask you if you were okay. I know that I’ve been gone a while but--” Keith stammered, the words tumbling heedlessly out of his mouth. 

Shiro’s shoulders slumped and Keith leaned toward him instinctively. “I don’t know, honestly. I haven’t felt right lately,” he confessed, worry and confusion drawing his brows together. 

Keith placed his hand on Shiro’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m here if you need something, Shiro,” he promised, the depth of his sincerity putting a slight rasp in his voice. 

Something dark flitted through Shiro’s gaze, but it was gone so quickly that Keith was sure he imagined it, and it was replaced with gratitude and relief. 

“Thank you, Keith. You’ve always had my back,” Shiro replied with a small smile. 

Keith smiled warmly, “And I always will.” 

“You should get to bed,” Shiro observed, neatly changing the subject where Keith would have inquired farther into his well-being. 

Keith was disappointed, but he got to his feet because he wasn’t going to push Shiro. “Probably,” he agreed. “Goodnight, Shiro.” 

“Goodnight, Keith,” Shiro answered, watching with bemusement as Keith departed. 

***

He was everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no sense of time, no way to mark the passing of hours, days, months. 

The Black lion is his only tether to the real world, and it had no concept of time, it simply checked in on him when it remembered. He’d been able to recognize and hear Keith when the red paladin had piloted Black, but now an unfamiliar entity resided in his place.

Shiro was in the dark again, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get out. 

So sorry Keith, so sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Krolia, can you tell? Lemme know what you guys think of her, I'm shaping her my own way since we know -2 things about her :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns just how much things have changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow maybe I should add a slowburn tag to this thing, it's gonna hurt before it get's better (cue evil laughter).

“Keith, wanna spar with me?” Lance asked, jumping up onto the kitchen counter next to where Keith was trying to scavenge some breakfast. 

Keith glanced at Lance, and gauged that it was a sincere offer. “You’ve been training while I’ve been gone?” he asked curiously. There was no malice in question, Lance simply hadn’t been much for the kind of extra practice that Keith liked to put in on his own. 

“Yep! I can’t wait to show you the new thing I learned to do with my bayard. You’re gonna love it,” Lance chattered excitedly. 

Keith shoved the food in his mouth unceremoniously. “Let me grab Krolia and then I’ll meet you down there? I feel kind of bad that I’ve been avoiding her.” 

“Oooh yes, I want to see your mom kick your ass, bring her!” Lance grinned and slid down off the counter. “Meet you in a couple ticks.” 

Keith rolled his eyes but set off to find Krolia. He still floundered when it came to what to call her, because ‘Krolia’ felt too formal, but he also was nowhere near being comfortable calling her ‘Mom’ either. It made his head hurt. Keith found her on the bridge talking with Coran, and Allura was off to the side deep in conversation with Lotor. Keith didn’t mean to, but he made eye contact with Lotor, who returned the attention curiously. Behind Keith, Krolia tensed, eyes narrowing on Lotor. 

Keith had no idea how he was supposed to feel about their alliance with Lotor, but if Allura and Shiro trusted him, then Keith would have to as well. But he’d refused to let his guard down.

“Krolia, I’m meeting Lance down on the training deck if you want to come,” Keith offered, turning to face her, 

She grinned at him, eyes glinting at the prospect of a challenge. “I’m interested, let’s see what your paladin friends know.” 

Keith snorted, and comm-ed for Pidge and Hunk to join them on the training deck. They could all use a lesson from an experienced Blade. Krolia followed him down to the training deck, falling into step at his side but still leaving a healthy distance between them. Keith appreciated that she wasn’t making any assumptions about being invited into his personal space. 

Lance was waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall. He straightened up with a bright smile as Krolia and Keith entered the room. 

“Finally, ready to get started?” Lance chirped, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“No, we’re going to warm up and spar first,” Keith retorted. 

Krolia took up a stance off to the side, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her smile as Lance deflated. 

“Ugh, you sound like how Shiro used to be,” Lance complained. 

Keith’s mind skittered across the ‘used to be,’ because since when didn’t Shiro encourage them to take care of their bodies when they trained? So many small things that didn’t add up. He mulled it over while he and Lance stretched, and Krolia went through her own routine. Keith shut the thoughts out as he faced Lance on the mats. They only went a couple rounds, just to loosen up areas that could easily be pulled swinging a sword. It was obvious to Keith from the way Lance moved that he had been training, and it caused the corners of his mouth to tug upwards. 

“Alright,” Lance huffed as he caught his breath. “Time for the fun stuff. Bring that knife of yours.” 

Keith arched an eyebrow. “But your bayard forms a blaster,” he argued, confused as to how the heck they would work with that. Keith wasn’t keen on being at the receiving end of a blast.

Lance shrugged his shoulders innocently. “Does it?” he taunted, drawing Keith out. 

Krolia, who had been quiet so far, snorted under her breath. Keith ignored her, and was so focused on whatever Lance was up to that he missed Pidge and Hunk’s sneaky entrance.

Keith drew his knife and flicked his arm out as it extended into a full sword. Lance waggled his brows and held his bayard out, face scrunched in concentration until it formed into what Allura had dubbed an Altean broadsword. 

Keith couldn’t help it, he gaped. “Since when do you fight with a sword?”

Lance gave what Keith could only describe as a maniacal laugh, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Yikes.

“It’s a new thing,” Lance said when he finally quit laughing. “I’m still learning.”

“Let’s see what you’ve got, then,” Keith grinned, and went at him. 

It was a short-lived fight. Keith had more experience, and soon it turned into instruction. Krolia made her way over, using her feet to nudge Lance’s into the correct stance.

“This will help your center of balance,” she explained, and Keith stepped back and let her take over helping Lance. The other paladin would take instruction better from someone that wasn’t Keith, even with their mended friendship.

In doing so, he caught sight of Pidge and Hunk lurking. “C’mon,” he beckoned. “Don’t think you’re getting out of training.” 

Pidge sighed but brought her bayard over, Hunk trailing. 

“What have you guys been doing for training lately?” Keith asked. 

Pidge and Hunk exchanged glances. “Nothing really,” Hunk admitted. “We’ve been busy, and Shiro has been… distracted.” 

Keith frowned, but lost his chance to ask as Krolia and Lance joined them. Lance looked starry-eyed from his little instructional session, and held the broadsword with a tad more confidence. 

“If you show me what you know, I can offer whatever knowledge I have?” Krolia offered. 

Pidge inclined her head curiously. “I’m game. You too Hunk?”

Hunk looked nervous, but he nodded. “Sure, let’s do this.” 

Krolia grinned, and they set to work. Keith, who thought he had more training than the rest of them, got put through the paces as well. Krolia pushed them all hard, and they ended up sprawled on the floor by the end, but she was also good at encouraging them. Keith watched her from his spot on the floor next to Pidge, chest heaving as he caught his breath. This interesting new tidbit on Krolia was something to tuck away for later examination. 

She sat down beside him, and Pidge casually rolled away to needle Lance. 

“You’re a natural leader,” Krolia commented, fingers idly tapping on the floor. 

Keith tensed automatically and shoved up into a sitting position. “I’m not--” he began vehemently, and then stopped, considering. 

His resistance to leadership stemmed from his unwillingness to take Shiro’s place, but Shiro was here in full leadership capacity. What am I afraid of? Keith wondered, and sighed. Everything. Nothing. There was nothing to keep him from taking on that mantle. He was competent enough to do it, even if he couldn’t do it as well as Shiro could. 

“Maybe,” he allowed tiredly. “You’re not the first person to say that.”

The other paladins departed silently, leaving Keith alone with Krolia. 

“Shiro?” Krolia guessed, with unnerving accuracy. 

Keith blinked at her, and she laughed. 

“You talk a lot about him,” she explained. “He was the only real guess. Why are you so against leading?”

Keith lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug and distracted himself by studying her face, committing every single detail of it to memory, just in case. 

“I did lead, when Shiro was missing,” he admitted. “The Black lion chose me, but… I didn’t want to replace him. I can’t ever replace him,” Keith’s voice rose, unconsciously remembering the agony of Shiro’s absence. 

Krolia hesitated before setting a soothing hand on his knee, and was pleased when he let it stay there. “Being a leader wouldn’t mean replacing him, Keith,” she told him. “And no two leaders are the same, but that doesn’t make one better or worse.” 

Keith clenched and unclenched his fist to ease the tension that coursed through him. She was right, of course, but it would take some time for him to internalize that. Krolia seemed to realize that he needed space, and squeezed his knee gently before getting to her feet and leaving him to his thoughts. 

He lingered for a while and went through some cool down stretches while his mind tumbled onward a mile a minute. So many things were changing and Keith felt like the undertow was dragging him down as he struggled to keep up. The team had kept on moving forward without him, but at least their familiar hands helped him up. Whatever was wrong with Shiro left a bad taste in Keith’s mouth that he couldn’t shake, but he couldn’t pin it down. It was like one of those pictures where they changed a couple of tiny details and you had to pick them out. 

Keith let out a frustrated grumble and got to his feet, intent on taking a nice cool shower. He nearly slammed into Shiro in the hallway, missing him by inches. 

“Keith?” Shiro said, concerned. 

Keith silently cursed. “Sorry, I guess I was in the hurry to get a shower,” he apologized and smiled sheepishly. 

Shiro arched a brow, “Ah. Did I miss some training?”

“Oh, yeah. Lance wanted to show me the new thing he learned with his bayard, and then Krolia kind of turned it into a learning session,” Keith explained. 

It surprised him now, as he realized that Shiro had never showed. Training and team bonding were always things that Shiro pushed for when they could manage it. For him to miss it, even if it was an informal gathering, was strange.

“I’ll have to make it next time,” Shiro mused, smiling slightly. “It’s been a while since we’ve sparred.”

“It has,” Keith agreed, and a thrill went through him at the thought of rebuilding his relationship with Shiro. Maybe there was a chance.

Shiro’s eyes locked onto him and Keith nearly staggered under that searching look. He’d never been on the receiving end of any such thing from Shiro, they’d always seen each other so easily. This was something else entirely. 

“Shiro? You okay?” Keith asked hesitantly. 

“Huh? Yeah, sorry,” Shiro mumbled and ran a hand through his forelock. “Things got, ah, a bit fuzzy there for a moment. Must be the headache.” 

Keith reached out to lay a hand lightly on Shiro’s elbow. “Do you want me to walk you back to your room? Maybe you should get some sleep,” he offered, concern creasing his forehead. 

“I-- I really shouldn’t. I’m sure there’s something the team or Lotor needs me to do,” Shiro hedged. 

Keith made a face. “They don’t need you 24/7 Shiro, off to bed with you,” he said, and tugged on Shiro’s elbow. 

Shiro planted his feet stubbornly. “Keith,” he snapped. “I need to go speak with Lotor.” 

Keith yanked his hand back, violet eyes narrowing. “Are you mad at me Shiro? What’s going on?” 

Shiro looked torn between confusion and annoyance. “I’m not mad?” 

“No? Then why are you being like this?” Keith asked, gesturing emphatically. 

“Like what?” The confusion was now legitimate, and Shiro was staring at him like he was crazy. “I’m the leader, I need to go take care of this.”

Keith had no words, and when Shiro determined that the discussion was at an end, he walked away, leaving Keith alone in the hallway. It was a full minute before Keith stopped reeling long enough to comprehend that whatever was wrong between them might not be because of him. It wasn’t his fault, but something was very wrong with Shiro. 

The thought stuck with him as he walked down empty halls to his room, and continued to stick as he showered and sought out Pidge in her favorite hiding place. She had her laptop in her lap, and barely glanced up as she scooted over to make room for Keith next to her. 

“What’s up?” she asked after finishing whatever code she’d been working on. 

Hazel eyes peered over the top of glasses that fell halfway down her nose, and it hit Keith suddenly how much he’d missed her companionship, and that of the other paladins. It was an ache that had been swallowed by the even greater chasm of loneliness that stemmed from missing Shiro. 

“I don’t know how to be okay with whoever Shiro has become,” Keith whispered, head hanging as he examined his hands. 

Pidge frowned and set her laptop aside. “I don’t think anyone is okay with it,” she answered. “He told Lance he didn’t feel like himself, and he’s not acting like it either.” 

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Keith said, and it was agony. He’d always been so attuned to Shiro that it was like he pulled a stranger from that beat up ship. 

“We’ll figure it out, Keith,” Pidge reassured him, pressing her shoulder comfortingly against his. 

Keith leaned into her smaller form, amazed as usual at how much better talking to her mades him feel. “It’s just… it’s a lot right now,” he murmured. 

“With your mom?” Pidge asked, clarifying. “I understand it’s going to take you some time, but for what it’s worth? I like her. She’s not perfect, obviously, but neither are any of us, Keith.” 

Keith mock gasped, “You’re not perfect, Pidge?”

She shoved him. “Rude.” 

Keith cracked a small smile. “You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s gonna take me some time though. She… she left, and we’re at war. There’s no telling what could happen.”

Pidge half tackled him with a hug. “I know, but we’re in this together.”

Keith took a breath. “Together,” he agreed. 

Him, Pidge, Shiro, and the rest of their family. Krolia, Kolivan, and the Blades. His family, found and blood. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen a lot of discourse about how the paladins have treated Keith, so excuse me while I aggressively make them into a loving and supporting family. It's what they all deserve <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haggar is fed up with Keith, and things with Shiro get weirder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the fun stuff ;)

Haggar hissed furiously as she peered through the portal. “He’s ruining everything, why couldn’t that nuisance boy stay gone.” 

Axca was silent, keeping her passive gaze focused on a random point on the wall. That nuisance had saved her life, and only recently had she managed to make it even by saving his. Well, if Haggar was going to kill him, at least she wouldn’t have to feel guilty about it. 

“Kill him?” Ezor suggested, perking up from where she was seated on the stairs. 

Zethrid looked up, interest lighting her features. “Who are we killing?”

“You’re not killing anyone,” Haggar snapped. “Operation Kuron will get rid of him without making a mess.” 

Ezor heaved a disappointed sigh and rolled her eyes when Axca shot her a look. So much for having fun.

***

Keith stood on the bridge with Coran, watching as the lions shot out of the castle and into the glittering darkness. Yearning pooled in his chest, and his hands ached for Red’s controls and the freedom of her maneuverability. That was no longer his place though. Krolia joined them, placing herself between Lotor and Keith when Lotor also joined them. Keith set his jaw, biting down on the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping at her. He could take care of himself, he didn’t need her to protect him from Lotor, but an internal voice that sounded suspiciously like Pidge yelled at him to give her a chance. 

The comms were filled with the usual chatter, and Coran brought the castle into position as the team dropped in on a couple of Galra battleships. Some of the stronger generals were still stirring up trouble, even after Lotor had ascended to the throne. Keith hadn’t quite figured out why Lotor was still hanging around, but he suspected that it had to do with whatever Altean alchemy Allura had going on. The two of them often holed up pouring over information, either on the ship, or at the Galra headquarters. It made Lance twitchy, and Keith often found himself helping Lance blow off a little steam on the training deck, with Krolia offering commentary. 

Eyes on the battle, Keith tensed as one of the battleships started charging their ion cannon.

“Shiro, on your left!” he yelled, gripping the back of the Black paladin’s chair hard enough to turn his knuckles white. 

Shiro didn’t answer but swung Black around just in time. “Form Voltron,” he commanded. 

Keith watched as the team fell into place and neatly dispatched the battleships. It was borderline uncomfortable to be on the outside, Keith could remember exactly how it felt to be a part of something so important. He shook the feeling off as the team returned the lions to their hangars and made their way to the bridge. 

Pidge and Lance appeared on either side of him, and Keith managed a small smile. They’d been working hard to make him feel included, despite the fact that he wasn’t flying with them. 

“This is why we need to assert Lotor’s position as emperor,” Shiro’s strident tone drew Keith’s attention. 

He stood in front of Allura, arms crossed and jaw set. She glared up at him, practically bristling and feet planted in a fighting stance. 

“We talked about this, Shiro. We don’t have a legitimate solution for the quintessence problem yet, and if we try and reset the empire without a solution, it’ll only cause more chaos,” she said firmly, but with a tinge of impatience that told Keith this was not the first, nor tenth time she’d had this conversation. 

“The remaining Galra generals need to know who is in charge!” Shiro argued, oblivious to the fact that everyone else was staring at him. 

Keith’s gaze snapped to Lotor, who stepped in. 

“Shiro, Allura is right. We have to do this the correct way, and that requires care and time,” Lotor said calmly. “When Allura and I make some headway, we will deal with the empire. Until then, Voltron needs to put out the fires.” 

Shiro drew a visible breath, and his face fell back into a calm mask. “Of course. I’ll be on the training deck if you need me,” he said evenly, and departed. 

The whole team was deathly silent in his wake until Allura broke the silence. “I don’t understand,” she murmured, dejected. 

Krolia was irritated, but everyone else looked resigned to the outburst, and Keith wondered how often things like that had gone down. Pidge pinched the underside of his arm and Keith flinched, frowning at her. 

“Yeah I know, I’ll go talk to him,” Keith muttered. 

He squirmed as Allura’s hopeful gaze fell on him, but Pidge’s small hand on his back was reassuring, as was Lance and Hunk’s presence.

“Listen,” Keith said quietly. “I don’t know what’s going on with him, and I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll do my best.” 

“Whatever is wrong with him, it’s not your fault Keith,” Krolia said, and Keith was surprised to note the approving glance that was exchanged between Allura and Krolia. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Keith said, and left.

Lance snuck over to offer his shoulder to Allura to lean on. Shiro’s constant challenging of her decisions was taking a huge toll on all of them. He just hoped that Keith could fix what the rest of them couldn’t.

Krolia waited a minute or two before slipping out of the room, quiet as a ghost. 

***

“Shiro?” Keith said into tense air and stepped into the training room. “It’s me.” 

“Keith,” Shiro acknowledged, and turned from where he was studying his Galra arm. “Care to spar? I need… I need to blow off some steam I think.” 

The torn, shaken expression on Shiro’s face had Keith moving immediately. “Absolutely,” Keith answered gently. “Hand to hand? Like old times?”

“Like old times,” Shiro repeated, and something about his tone sent chills down Keith’s spine. 

Keith took his time, shucking his jacket and peeling his boots off. He added his knife to the top of the pile, there was no need for it. This was Shiro, and they were sparring hand to hand. Nothing to worry about. 

“You ready?” Keith asked finally, shaking out his arms. 

Sparring with Lance lately was a step down from getting kicked around by Blades twice his size, so Keith was eager for the familiar challenge of Shiro’s style of fighting. 

Shiro nodded and stepped up, and they toyed with each other for a bit before Shiro made the first move. That was unusual, Keith normally made the first move because he was impatient, and Shiro typically waited him out. Keith noticed immediately the difference in the way Shiro fought. Not only did he move differently, Keith observed as he ducked a blow, but it seemed as if he’d forgotten Keith’s style. Sparring for them was a game where they had to get creative because they knew each other so well that they could predict moves before they were made. This… Keith didn’t understand. 

Keith rolled to the side neatly as Shiro’s fist came at his face and swept Shiro’s legs out from under him in a move he’d learned from the Blades. Shiro bounced back quickly and Keith pushed him, hard, and was pushed in return. They exchanged several blows and went back and forth until both of them were panting. 

“Ready to be done?” Keith huffed. The fight had lacked their usual playful taunts, but Shiro was upset and Keith understood. 

Except Shiro shook his head and pressed in on Keith, forcing him to retreat a step. 

“Shiro?” Keith said, confused as he brought his hands back up to protect his face. 

Shiro’s eyes were vacant, and Keith realized how much trouble he was in when Shiro’s Galra arm snapped down and activated. Keith backed up quickly, trying to put space between them. Shiro pursued him, and the way he swung that arm reflected the intent to do harm. Panic sent Keith’s heart thrashing in his chest. Shiro wouldn’t hurt him, and Keith sure as hell couldn’t face down his oldest friend with the intent to knock him out cold, even if that was what it took to protect himself. 

“Shiro,” he pleaded, and was forced to roll away from another near miss. “Shiro’s it’s me, it’s Keith.” 

No response. Keith hissed in pain as Shiro’s fingers grazed his bicep and left a trail of pain. Too late, he realized, Shiro had him cornered. Keith’s training and his heart were at war. There were ways to get out of this, but every single one of them involved doing harm to Shiro and he couldn’t… Keith couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

“Shiro,” he whispered, one last try as Shiro lunged at him, gray eyes flowing an unhealthy yellow. 

Purple eyes flickered closed, waiting for the impact that never came. A second passed, and then another until a furious snarl prompted Keith to open them and see what the hell was happening. 

Krolia had Keith’s blade held to Shiro’s throat. The fury on her face set Keith’s teeth on edge, and he could do nothing but stare. There was no way that the man under the blade was Shiro. Keith was prone to doubts about whether Shiro and his friends cared about him, but there was no universe in which Keith didn’t trust Shiro with his life. 

“Keith, are you okay?” Krolia asked, a tremor in her voice. 

He nodded, but the only words that came out were, “That’s not Shiro.” 

“No, it’s not,” Krolia agreed, looking at not-Shiro with cold eyes.

“I don’t-- I don’t know what’s happening,” not-Shiro said as his eyes cleared, and Keith felt like the rug had been yanked out from under him. 

“Allura? We need some backup and a containment unit,” Keith said into the comms, taking a large loop around where Krolia still restrained not-Shiro, who wasn’t fighting her. 

The team appeared almost immediately, with Lotor and Coran on their heels. Taking in the scene, Pidge went immediately to Keith and grabbed a handful of his t-shirt to ground the both of them. 

“I don’t understand,” Allura said, stunned. 

Lotor’s lip curled as he stepped forward to examine the imposter. “I think I might. Haggar likes her pawns, and she particularly likes spying on me. She’s tried it once already, controlling one of my generals.” 

Hunk paled as realization hit all of them. Shiro may have been a bit off since Keith had found him drifting in space, but it’d escalated only when Lotor became a major player. 

“That’s not Shiro,” Keith said harshly. “I don’t know who or what he is, but that’s not Shiro. Shiro would never hurt me.” 

“Are you saying that Haggar placed an imposter among us as a spy?” Allura asked, brows drawn as she tried to make sense of it all. 

“Yes,” Lotor said flatly. “That is exactly what I’m saying.”

“I’m sorry,” not-Shiro whispered. “I really thought… I really thought I was him.”

Allura took a breath, “Coran, Lance, would you mind walking him down to one of the containment areas please?”

Krolia eased the blade off of the imposter and allowed Coran and Lance to escort him away. Lotor followed, evidently intent on seeing this through. The blade deactivated back to its knife state and Krolia went immediately to Keith, who’d frozen. Krolia draped an arm over his shoulders and he didn’t wriggle out of her touch, which told Pidge exactly how shaken he was. 

“If that’s not Shiro,” Keith said, a horrible notion dawning on him. “Where is the real Shiro?”

Allura pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry Keith, I don’t know. But we will look for him, I promise you.” 

Keith shed both Pidge and Krolia’s touches in one rapid movement, and then he was gone, disappearing down the hallway before anyone could call him back. Allura and Hunk looked resigned, it’d been a while, but they knew the way Keith needed to cope with things. This wasn’t, after all, the first time Shiro had disappeared.

Krolia on the other hand, moved like she wanted to follow Keith. Pidge snatched her wrist, feet planted even though Krolia could easily drag her along. 

“No,” Pidge said, gentle but firm. “He needs time. Keith is private about that kind of pain, and very bad at asking for help.” 

Anguish marked Krolia’s features but she stayed put despite her desperate wish to go after her son. “He loves this Shiro, doesn’t he?” she asked. 

Pidge’s answering smile was tired and sad. “We think so. They’re really bad at talking about feelings.” 

Allura offered a hand to Krolia. “Let’s check up on some other things in the meantime, we need to figure out to do with the imposter, and it will help if we can get a head start on looking for Shiro.” 

Krolia took Allura’s hand after a moment’s hesitation. She was as bad as Keith had been about being touched, but they were slowly getting her used to the casual contact the paladins shared. 

“I’m going to go throw some food together,” Hunk said. “Everyone forgets to eat when things get crazy.” 

“I’ll get started on the search,” Pidge added. “Shiro has to be out there somewhere.”

Krolia sighed, “For Keith’s sake, I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally Keith realizes that it's not his fault, poor bby )':


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith tries to cope and the team dynamic shifts yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you to all the lovely humans that follow along with this mess, you guys constantly push me forward and inspire me with your thoughts and takes on things (and remind me about that one plot thread I completely forgot about, whoops). So thanks, this is for you guys <3

Keith sat on the floor between Red and Black, head between his knees to stifle the sobs that shook him. All this time, he thought he’d rescued Shiro, but instead he’d failed him. Failed to recognize that the man Keith had pulled from the drifting shuttle was not the one he knew better than his own self. How could he have failed so badly? There was no way of knowing where Shiro was now, no lead to go off of.

 

Red’s warm presence brushed his mind, echoed by Black, and for a moment Keith let them soothe him into a comfortable numbness. This wasn’t the first, or even the second time Keith had lost Shiro. He should be used to the strangling hopelessness, but instead it tightened around his throat with every breath he took. The urge to lose himself in it was strong enough that he held fiercely onto Red to keep from slipping under. Shiro was the one person that Keith wasn’t sure he could live without. Kerberos… Kerberos very nearly broke him. The only thing that kept him above water now was his sheer stubbornness. Keith had done this before, he could do it again. He would find the real Shiro and bring him home, even if it killed him.

 

Black’s approving rumble shook him to his core, and Keith was dead set.

 

***

 

“Trying to figure out how we’re going to form Voltron without Shiro?” Lance asked.

 

Allura was seated cross-legged on the bridge, watching the stars. She looked over, lips turning up slightly as he passed her a steaming mug of some kind of space tea. He kept one for himself, careful not to spill it as he took a seat beside her. Allura took a considering sip before answering.

 

“Yes,” she admitted eventually, shoulders weighed down by responsibility. “How did you know I’d be up here?”

 

“I had a hunch,” Lance shrugged casually. He’d gotten much better at reading Allura as time went on and their relationship evolved.

 

Allura sighed quietly, “We need a pilot for Black, but I can’t force that on Keith, not again. I feel awful for forcing it the first time, even though we needed him so badly.”

 

“Maybe that’s the thing,” Lance said thoughtfully. “Don’t force it, just ask him.”

 

Allura flicked her gaze to him, curious. “Isn’t it almost the same thing, though? If I ask him, he’ll feel pressured to do it for the good of the team.”

 

Lance shook his head. “Spell it out for him, Keith does better with bluntness. Ask him if he’ll pilot Black, but tell him you don’t want him to make that choice for our sake. He needs to take whatever time is necessary to be okay with this.”

 

She turned the words over in her head, contemplating. “I might be able to do that,” she decided. “We can’t give up on Shiro this time, Lance. We let him down once already, and we let Keith down too.”

 

Lance cradled his mug carefully in his palms. “Yeah, we did let Keith down,” he murmured. “I won’t let it happen again if I can avoid it.”

 

“You’ve finally managed to become friends with him, huh?” Allura said, amused.

 

Lance scowled, “Finally? We’ve been friends for forever.”

 

“Mmmhmm, friends and not rivals?” Allura teased.

 

Lance pretended to be hurt, but didn’t protest when Allura leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, sipping their drinks and enjoying a moment of peace.

 

Allura finally sat up, giving her mug to Lance to hold while she got to her feet. “I’ll go talk to Keith. Will you make sure that Pidge actually sleeps at some point?”

 

“I’ll set Hunk on her, she listens to him more than me,” Lance promised. “And good luck, be gentle with him.”

 

Allura smiled faintly, “Thank you for the advice, Lance. I appreciate it.”

 

Lance’s eyes twinkled in the low light, “Any time, princess.”

 

***

 

Krolia stood in the middle of the training room, turning slowly as she took the space in. It was clear as day in her mind’s eye, the way not-Shiro had moved on Keith, and Keith’s refusal to hurt him in self-defense. If she’d doubted it before, she knew now how gone Keith was for this Shiro. She felt guilty for being relieved that the man she’d been introduced to wasn’t Shiro, because she hadn’t liked him very much.

  
Keith… Keith was torn up in Shiro’s absence, and she couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible. It was, after all, her fault that Keith was so scarred by people vanishing out of his life. Furious tears pricked at her eyes and she swung around blindly, wishing for something to hit.

 

“Would you like me to turn the simulation bots on?” a small voice asked, and Krolia whirled, reaching for the gun at her hip before she realized who it was.

 

Pidge looked even tinier than normal with her hair in disarray and clothes rumpled. A computer was held with loving care in her arms, and Krolia forced herself to breathe. Someone so tiny should not have been able to startle her so badly.

 

“How?” Krolia croaked.

 

Pidge walked her through how to turn on and off the system, and made for the door as soon as she was sure Krolia had it down.

 

“You’re just like him,” Pidge murmured before she left.

 

Krolia’s heart clenched painfully, and she called out instructions to the AI, descending on the bots like an avenging angel.

 

***

 

“Keith?” Allura said into the vast space. Above her Red and Black gazed down on the boy who sat at their feet.

 

“Yeah?” he rasped. Words were difficult at the moment, but he got to his feet and faced her in a series of slow, tired movements.

 

Allura took in his appearance and the angry redness of his eyes. He looked a mess, and her heart went out to him. Keith had been through far too much, and it there was no end in sight for it.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

 

Keith lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. Her apology was appreciated, but numbness was setting in, and words meant nothing. “Is there something you need, Allura?”

 

“I need you to take care of yourself,” Allura said firmly. “I know you thought the same way that I did: the Black lion needs a pilot. I would ask you to step into that role, but only if you want to. And only if you take care of yourself first most.”

 

Purple eyes pierced her soul, but she held firm and let him think it over.

 

“I will fly Black,” Keith said slowly. “I’m starting to understand that it’s not really replacing him. I can lead in my own right, and doing so will help the team, and help find him.”

 

_He’s grown so much,_ Allura thought, and didn’t disguise her fierce pride at this. All her paladins had grown since she’d first met them, but Keith’s ownership of himself was something she hadn’t been sure she’d ever see.

 

“He’s going to be so proud of you,” she said, and left no doubt that they would find Shiro, because they would. She wouldn’t rest until the black paladin was safely home.

 

Keith’s lips curved just slightly upward, and Allura took it as a victory.

 

“Get some rest,” she told him gently. “Tomorrow we start searching in earnest.”

 

***

 

Keith stumbled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed from a night of less than restful sleep. Hunk plopped him in a chair and placed a pile of space pancakes in front of him, which Keith gratefully accepted. It was quiet until Pidge and Lance found their way in, predictably bickering. Keith didn’t have the energy to figure out what they were on about, and instead focused on shoveling pancakes into his face. The noise only ceased when they were shut up by their own pancakes, and Keith exchanged a relieved glance with Hunk. It was too early to listen to Pidge and Lance’s discordant voices.

 

“Keith,” Pidge said through a mouthful of pancake, earning a disapproving look from Lance that she ignored. “I’m sorting through the intel and prisoner logs we have on the bases near where we last saw Shiro to give us a starting point. Lotor went to Galra headquarters to see if he could find out anything that way.”

 

“Thanks, Pidge,” Keith mumbled, mustering a small smile to appease the way her eyes narrowed on him.

 

Pidge was perfectly capable of seeing right through Keith when she wanted to, and judging by the way Lance was paying an unnecessary amount of attention to his plate…

 

“I’m okay, I promise,” he tried to reassure her. It was a half-truth, but at least it wasn't a lie. Keith didn’t want to lie to his friends if he didn’t have to. He wasn’t okay now, but he would be. Once they found Shiro.

 

“Uh huh,” Pidge grunted suspiciously.   
  
Keith would have been offended if he didn’t know her suspicions were well founded. He had a bad habit of hiding his emotions from his teammates, though he was working to be better about it now.

 

Allura saved him from further scrutiny by striding purposely into the room. “We’re needed,” she said without preamble. “One of the generals is wreaking havoc on a Coalition planet and there isn’t a rebel force close enough to handle it.”

 

Hunk, Lance, and Pidge moved at once, dispersing to their respective lions. They moved with such familiar fluidity that Keith was paralyzed for a moment. He had never let himself linger too long on how much he missed this, but it hit him in full force now. Allura, already in her armor and with her helm tucked under her arm, fixed her assessing gaze on him.

 

“Take care of you first,” she reminded him, not unkindly.

 

Keith shook his head and stood. “This is what I need right now. I have to talk with Black though, so go on ahead without me and I’ll catch up.”

 

Allura’s smile was fierce and fleeting as she turned on her heel. “I’ll see you out there.”

 

Keith gave himself one long moment to breathe, changing quickly before he set off purposely toward Black’s hangar. It felt strange to be back in paladin armor, it was the near opposite of what he’d grown used to wearing with the Blades. Krolia fell into step next to him in one of the hallways.

 

“You’re going to fly the Black Lion,” she observed, glancing down at Keith.

 

“If it’ll allow it,” Keith corrected. He would never assume that privilege with any of the lions, but particularly not Black.

 

Krolia arched a brow, she wasn’t as used to the sentient lions and their particulars, but she set a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Be careful,” was all she said before she left him to it and joined Coran on the bridge.

 

Black was waiting for him with a hint of impatience.

 

“Sorry,” Keith apologized quietly, resting a hand on Black’s massive claw. Mental silence greeted him, and he knew that Black is waiting for a proper apology.

 

“It was never about you, it’s me, and it’s so hard to fill his shoes. It’s so hard that he’s gone…” Keith whispered, and Black rumbled acknowledgement. “We need to do something now, but will you help me find him?” Keith asked.

 

Approval washed over him and Keith smiled, tiny and crooked. “I’ll try my best to be worthy of being your paladin. Bear with me.”

 

Black rumbled an answer and Keith put his helmet on, letting his nerves wash away as he climbed into Black’s cockpit and settled into the pilot’s chair. One deep breath, and then another as Keith set his hands on the controls.   
  
“Let’s go,” he whispered, and Black shot out into the sky. A mixture of joy and guilt coursed through him, but Keith refused to let it distract him.

 

The team had a good head start on him and were already doing quite the number on a Galra battleship when he arrived. “Sorry I’m late, guys,” he spoke into the comms.

 

“Keith!” Pidge yelled excitedly, making him flinch.

 

“Welcome back, Keith,” Hunk said, and Lance whooped.

 

“Let’s form Voltron!” Lance said, drawing an exasperated noise from Allura.

 

“Yeah,” Keith agreed, “Let’s form Voltron.”

 

It was a rush, working in tandem with four other people, but it was as natural as breathing for Keith to fall back into the rhythm. He also suddenly had a grasp on how much the team had improved while he’d been gone, and it sent a thrill of warmth through him. They made quick work of the Galra cruisers, and Keith found that he didn’t need to lead so much as be a team member.

 

They returned to the castle and the moment Keith stepped onto the hangar floor he was ambushed by four warm bodies, and for once he didn’t fight it. This was home, and now, now they could find Shiro. Keith let their care temporarily smother the raging ache in his chest. _I’m coming, Shiro, I’m coming._

 

***

 

_“He’s flying with you again,” Shiro said with wonder, straining to brush against Keith’s warm presence as he left Black’s cockpit._

 

_Black confirmed it for him, pleasure shining through in its presence in the back of Shiro’s mind._

 

_“Can he… can he find me?” Shiro asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer._

 

_Black did not know, but it would try to guide Keith._

 

_“I miss him…” Shiro breathed the admission into the astral plane._

 

_Black reached out mentally, comforting. Keith missed him too. Black shared what it had gleaned from talking with Keith, and the intensity of Keith’s longing knocked Shiro backwards._

 

_He sat quietly for a long moment and sighed. “I need to get back to them.”_

 

_Yes, Black agreed, yes._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith leads, and things start to fall into place.

Keith didn’t know why his feet carried him to where not-Shiro was being held. Hunk and Coran, who had essentially taken over responsibility for him, had provided him with all the creature comforts. The other paladins, who’d spent so much time with the imposter, could see him as nothing but human, despite Haggar’s influence. On some levels Keith appreciated that, but it also made it harder to remind himself that this wasn’t Shiro.

 

It seemed that most of the time he was simply someone who looked like Shiro and had Shiro’s memories. Only occasionally did Haggar’s influence bleed into it, which Lotor assured them was intentional. Keith had caught himself wondering about the differences between the clone and Shiro. They were subtle, but now that he looked back, they were glaringly obvious to him. Perhaps it was like a biology class he’d taken long ago, and the debate between nurture and nature. Had being made by Haggar influenced who the clone was as a person, even if he had Shiro’s memories? It made Keith’s head ache to think about.

 

Keith bit into his lower lip as he knocked lightly on the glass of the containment unit. Not-Shiro was hunched over a tablet that Keith presumed Pidge had disabled outside communication on.

 

The man looked up, and Keith was hit with the full force of _Shiro_ that came with those gray eyes. Tablet set aside, Keith became the soul focus of his attention.

 

“I didn’t ever expect to see you down here,” the imposter said ruefully.

 

Keith pressed his lips together and shrugged. Truth was, as much as he wanted to stay away, he couldn’t. Not when he walked, and talked, and looked like Shiro. Keith wasn’t that strong.

 

“Keith--” not-Shiro began, and Keith flinched back.

 

“Please don’t-- don’t say my name,” Keith said, voice strangled. “You’re not him.”

  
A sigh. “I know I’m not.”

 

“Is there something else I can call you?” Keith asked desperately, hanging onto his control by a thread. He wanted to flee the room, but this required closure.

 

There was a moment of deliberation. “Kuron,” the man said finally. “I’m not sure why that’s at the tip of my tongue, but...” Kuron shrugged.

 

“Kuron,” Keith tried, letting it roll off his tongue. It was strange, and associating it with the man in front of him was strange, but it couldn’t be helped. Anything Keith could do to separate him from Shiro was necessary.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kuron said quietly, and there was something different in his tone than the last couple apologies. Something personal.

 

“I know there’s something between you and Shiro. I have snippets of it in my head, but most of it… most of it she cut out. Haggar needed you gone, you were dangerous. If anyone could figure it out, it would be you. So she made me push you away, and stupid me, I didn’t know I had any reason to mistrust my own thoughts. Not until now.” Kuron sighed and ducked his head.

 

Keith was frozen in place. He’d been intentionally pushed off the team? What memories had Kuron managed to keep? What did Shiro’s memories of them look like?

 

Kuron’s low voice pulled him back to reality. “I wish there was some way to get her out of my head,” he whispered brokenly.

 

His voice, the twin to Shiro’s, tore at Keith’s heart. He took a breath, it felt like someone had shoved a sword through his chest. _Not Shiro not Shiro not Shiro._ But it didn’t matter. Keith would help him anyway.

 

“I’ll talk to Allura and Pidge, but maybe the Olkari can help you,” Keith said. Hopeful gray eyes pierced him and Keith held up a hand. “Don’t get your hopes up though, okay? We’ll do our best.”

 

Kuron smiled and god did Keith wish he were Shiro. “Thank you,” Kuron said.

 

Keith nodded, and speed walked out before his emotions could get the best of him. He missed the way Kuron’s whole body locked up, stiff as his eyes glazed over and Haggar hissed her fury.

 

***

 

“Where’s Allura?” Keith asked Pidge as he ducked into the lounge.

 

Pidge was sitting on the couch, legs tucked under as she typed furiously away on her laptop. She tilted her head, eyeing him through the gleam of her glasses.

 

“Oh, you know. They’re back at it with that quintessence voodoo crap. I tried to follow it but it’s too _magical_ for my taste,” she said, making a face. “Lance is hovering because he still doesn’t trust Lotor.”

 

Keith snorted and sank down onto the couch next to her. “Any progress?” he asked, diverting the conversation elsewhere.

 

Pidge patted his knee absently in a gesture that was probably supposed to be soothing, and Keith wondered if this was what it was like to have a terrifying grandmother. God, now that he knew about Krolia, maybe he actually had a grandmother.

 

“I have a list of bases and cruisers for us to check, we just need Allura to be ready and the Blades to get back to us,” Pidge said.

 

Keith leaned back as Pidge side-eyed him. “What?” he grumbled when he couldn’t stand it any longer.

 

“Kolivan wants you and Krolia to come back. I think he misses you,” she said mildly.

 

Keith rubbed a hand over his face, “He knows that I can’t do that, and I can’t make Krolia do anything. She goes wherever I go.”

 

He didn’t voice that he was secretly pleased with this. Keith wanted to mend his relationship with Krolia, and it was clear that she wanted the same, and was willing to fight for it. Not many people fought for Keith, but those that did helped with mending some of the gaping holes in his heart.

 

Pidge tutted and turned the screen towards him, “Tell me what you know about some of these bases. The prisoner logs are unhelpful so we’ll have to check them out the old fashioned way.”

 

The prospect gave Keith mixed feelings: he’d like to get in a couple tussles to ease the emotions in his chest, but he wanted to find Shiro quickly. He narrowed his eyes on the computer and got caught up in discussion with Pidge until Lance interrupted them a while later by throwing himself unceremoniously on the couch.

 

“I hate this,” Lance groaned, and was faced with both Pidge and Keith’s raised eyebrows. “The mystical stuff. And Lotor being all buddy buddy,” he elaborated.

 

Pidge smiled archly, “You just don’t like that Allura is spending a lot of time with Lotor.”

 

“That’s not it at all!” Lance protested.

 

Keith shrugged. “So far it seems Lotor has been nothing but truthful with you guys. You’ll have to live with it, Lance,” he said.

 

Lance let his head flop back on the couch with a groan to sulk in peace, but Keith hit his foot repeatedly with a pillow until Pidge told them both to knock it off.

 

“If you _children_ could behave for half a second, I want your opinion on this plan before I bring it to Allura,” Pidge sniped.

 

Keith put the pillow down and both he and Lance leaned in to better hear as she explained. Lance added some suggestions and Keith chewed the inside of his lip. It was a good plan, even if they were fighting the odds.

 

When they finally told Allura, she agreed, but Hunk wasn’t so sure.

 

“We’re not really built for stealth,” Hunk said uneasily, hands fidgeting.

 

Keith studied Hunk. His friend had always been the most nervous in the group, even if he had adjusted to being in space. Keith offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

 

“I think just me, Pidge, and Lance should go,” Keith paused, considering. “And Krolia. She knows Blade work better than I do. Pidge can take us in Green using the cloaking and then work the technical stuff from outside while we work inside.”

 

Allura tilted her head thoughtfully. “You want me to stay in the castle in case we need a fast wormhole?”

 

Keith grinned at her, “Bingo.”

 

Lance’s eyebrows shot up. “Keith… Keith are you _leading_?”

 

Pidge smacked Lance’s arm none too gently, but Keith squared his shoulders.

 

“Are you going to follow me?” Keith asked steadily.

 

Lance pretended to think about it, and then beamed. “Yeah, Keith. I will.”

 

“Me too,” Pidge chimed in, her sentiment echoed by Hunk.

 

Allura gave an approving nod. Lotor was silent, but there was a slight crinkle at the corners of his eyes that suggest a smile.

 

Keith gave a tight smile. “Thank you, guys. I’ll go bring Krolia up to speed.”

 

***

 

Keith couldn’t help it, nerves took over as he approached the room that Allura had given Krolia. While he was slowly adjusting to Krolia’s presence, he didn’t often seek her out individually. It was too fresh a wound yet, and Keith hadn’t quite figured out how he wanted Krolia to fit into his life. For all the time he’d spent yearning for his parents, to have Krolia appear when he’d finally found a family… was confusing to say the least.

 

He swallowed and raised his fist to the door, hesitating a fraction of a second before knocking firmly. There was shuffling on the other side of the door, and it slid open, revealing Krolia. She tilted her head, and Keith squirmed.

 

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” Keith mumbled, and she nodded, moving so that he could step into the room.

 

It was as sparse as his was and organized in the way that Keith had come to associate with the Blades.

  
“What would you like to talk about?” Krolia asked.

 

She took a seat on the floor cross-legged and Keith joined her. Her gaze was curious, but not expectant, which made Keith feel a little better. Krolia had promised that she wouldn’t leave again, but beyond sticking close to him, she hadn’t pushed hard for his forgiveness or affection.

 

“I need your help,” he blurted.

 

“You can have whatever you need from me,” Krolia said immediately, voice firm.

 

“I’m putting together a mission, we’re going to hit some bases and find Shiro,” Keith said, grateful for her willingness to go along with this. “We’re going to try and be stealthy about it, just you, me, and Lance on the inside. Pidge will cloak Green and drop us in, and do her hacking magic from outside.”

 

“This is all your planning?” Krolia asked mildly.

 

Keith nodded, “Mine and Pidge’s. I reviewed plans and information for the bases with her. It’s not unlike some things I’ve done for Kolivan. It will take us time to check them all, but…”

 

The look Krolia fixed him with was a different kind of speculative. “You love Shiro, don’t you?”

 

Keith tensed, shoulders hunching instinctively. He stared down at his lap, his brows furrowed. “I—I think so. Shiro is the only one who ever stayed. He never gave up on me, and didn’t flinch when I found out I was part Galra, even with all he’s been through.”

 

Krolia’s shift in position was a question, Keith was getting better at understanding how much Galra used body language to communicate.

 

“He and his crew were captured and tortured, he fought in the arena,” Keith said quietly.

 

And then it hit him. Just like when the Garrison had declared the crew of the Kerberos mission dead, an indescribable _need_ to touch Shiro, be reassured of his continued existence. But now, like then, it was impossible. He had no idea where Shiro was, how Shiro was. The next breath that left his lungs was shuddering, and tears pricked at his eyes. The control that he’d held on to for so long was crumbling, and a tear slipped down his cheek in earnest.

 

A solid hand, slightly smaller and slenderer than he was used to, settled on his shoulder as Krolia leaned across the space. It was barely enough to keep him grounded as a few more tears stole their way down his cheeks, leaving visible streaks.

 

“We will find him, Keith. We will bring Shiro home,” Krolia said, the intensity of her voice sending another shudder through Keith.

 

If there was one thing she wanted for her son, it was this. She would do everything in power. Shiro gave Keith what she had failed to, and for that, she owed him everything. Keith deserved happiness, and it seemed Shiro was the brightest thing in his life.

 

Keith wiped his eyes and clambered to his feet. “I’m going to go finish putting things together,” he mumbled, and paused in the doorway. “Thank you,” he whispered, and departed.

 

Krolia watched him go, warmth sparking in her chest. Perhaps Kolivan was right, and with time, she’d earn Keith’s trust.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm not slow burning you guys too hard. This is one of the last big hurdles my boys have to overcome, and they gotta worrrkkk for it to mean something :')


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse before they get better.

 

Keith stood in front of the case, chest heavy as he looked at his paladin armor. Someone had kept it clean and cared for while he’d been gone, and the thought didn’t make the decision any easier. He’d placed it back in the case after their last flight to remind himself not to take any of this for granted.

 

“Wear it,” Pidge said, startling him. She’d entered the room without him knowing.

 

“It’s a stealth mission Pidge, I’d probably be better off in my Blade suit,” Keith reasoned.

 

She snorted, knowing exactly what was on his mind. “You are a paladin of Voltron, Keith. Wear the suit.”

 

Keith let out a breath. He’d grown used to the anonymity of the Blade suits and their masks, and it was strange every time he had to don the flashy armor again. Pidge sighed and gently shoved his back.

 

“Get dressed, we’re leaving shortly,” she commanded.

 

Keith snorted and turned to face her. “When we get back can you and Allura see if the Olkari would be willing to help Kuron?”

 

“Kuron huh?” she said. There was a pause as Pidge scrutinized him, and Keith rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“It’s what he wants to be called. I know he’s not Shiro, but this is also not his fault, Pidge. He deserves to be free too,” Keith defended.

 

Pidge’s smile was weary. “He does. I’ll do what I can.”

 

“Thank you,” Keith murmured, and turned back to the suit. She left, and he changed, the weight of the armor settling on him. The paladins were home now. Keith tugged his helmet on and headed down to Green’s hangar.

 

Pidge, Lance, and Krolia waited for him. Pidge and Lance were in their paladin armor, and Krolia wore the armor Keith had first met her in. Keith tapped his fingers against his thigh, conscious of the black bayard being stowed away. Allura had given it to him, and he wondered what it would be like to fight with it, what form it would take these days.

 

“Here,” he said to Krolia, offering her the Blade knife that he was still in the habit of carrying. It was hers, after all.

 

Krolia shook her head. “No, it is yours now. I have this,” she declined, and patted the gun holstered at her hip.

 

Keith frowned at her but didn’t argue. He wouldn’t win, and it would just waste time. “Are we ready?” he asked.

 

“Let’s find Shiro,” Pidge said.

 

Keith felt Black’s approval surge over him and dared a small smile. “Let’s go.”

 

Pidge cloaked Green as soon as they departed the castle. Keith stood behind her chair, watching as they approached the base.

 

The drop off went as smoothly as Keith could have hoped for, they only had to take out a couple of sentries. Krolia was very good at going unseen, and Lance opted for the sharpshooter version of his bayard. They stepped on base and Keith grasped the black bayard. There was a pause, and both he and Lance stared as it formed a wicked looking blade. It was different from the sword Keith had always formed with the red bayard, but it wasn’t like the Altean broadsword Lance used either.

 

“That’s sweet,” Lance said, awed.

 

Keith gave it an experimental twirl. “We need to split up, it’ll take us too long to scope the base if we don’t.”

 

Lance nodded and tapped the forearm of his armor to pull up the schematics of the base that Pidge had uploaded.

 

“Pidge, can you keep up with that?” Keith asked over the comms.

 

He got a scoff for an answer and took that as a yes.

 

“Alright, meet back here for extraction,” he said, and paused. “Be careful. If you find other prisoners, we’ll do our best to free them as well.”

 

“Oh, I am going to be everybody’s hero today,” Lance chirped, and took off down a hallway.

 

Krolia’s gaze on Keith was intense, but she turned away silently to check her section of the base.

 

“Okay, we’re coming Shiro,” Keith murmured, and headed down the final hallway.

 

There were sentries everywhere, but Keith managed to avoid most of them. His time with the Blades made ducking into shadows as easy as breathing. Lance was not so adept, and Keith heard him occasionally muttering over the comms. Krolia was also silent, and Keith assumed that she was doing the same as he was.

 

To his frustration, Keith found nothing. He checked the troops’ quarters and some of the storage areas, but there was nothing. He conveyed as much to his companions.

 

“I found the prisoner block,” Lance said, breathless from a mad dash.

 

Keith’s hopes soared, but Lance cut them down. “No Shiro,” Lance said, an apology in his voice. “I checked everywhere and asked all the other prisoners. They’ve never seen anyone with his description.”

 

Keith tried not to choke on his disappointment. “That’s okay, do you need any help with the prisoners?”

 

“I’m close, I’ll help him,” Krolia said, the first time she’d spoken on the mission.

 

“Awesome, we’ll meet you at the rendezvous point Keith,” Lance said.

 

“Keith?” Pidge said, opening a private line between them. She sounded worried, and Keith shook his head to clear it.

 

“I’m okay, we’re coming out.”

 

***

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t find him,” Allura said quietly as she joined Keith on the observation deck.

“We’ll keep looking,” Keith said, though the words tasted sour on his tongue.

He crossed his arms over his chest, taking comfort in the snugness of his red jacket. Red didn’t really fit the Blades’ mission of stealth, so he’d had to tuck it away. It was just another example of how though he liked working with the Blades, it wasn’t quite home.

“Lotor and I are making some progress with the quintessence at least,” Allura said, finding a source of optimism.

“How quickly will we be able to distribute that across the empire?” Keith asked, and forced himself to focus on something other than finding Shiro.

“Well, if we manage to eliminate the last lingering generals, and Haggar…” Allura mused.

Keith looked over, sensing that there was more Allura wanted to say. “What about Haggar?”

Allura scrunched her face up, an expression Keith was fairly certain she’d learned from Pidge, as it was not very princess-like. “I… I am fairly certain that Haggar is actually Honerva, Zarkon’s wife and an Altean scientist,” she said unhappily.

“That would make a lot of sense considering the experimentation that Haggar is known for. Zarkon is dead, what could she possibly want?” Keith wondered.

“Her son?” Allura theorized, and Keith stared at her. “Lotor,” she clarified. “He refuses to believe that Haggar could be Honerva though, even with all the corruption from quintessence.”

“Would you like Haggar for a mother?” Keith challenged gently.

Allura frowned, “No, but it’s the truth.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier to accept though,” Keith reasoned, and Allura sighed.

“You’re right, I know you are. But it would be so much easier if he would accept it so that we could plan for how we’re going to deal with her,” Allura said, frustrated.

“We’ll get there. It’s not like we don’t have enough on our plates, even with Zarkon being dead,” Keith commented dryly. “Not to mention I saw Sendak on Kral Zera, so he’s out there too, probably destroying things and enslaving people.”

“More things to take care of,” Allura murmured. “We should rest then. I will continue working on the quintessence while you look for Shiro. If we can take out a couple generals along the way who refuse to bend to Lotor’s rule, all the better.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Keith agreed.

“Krolia is incredibly helpful,” Allura said. “Will she stay?”

“She is,” Keith agreed quietly. “I think that as long as I let her, she’ll be where I am.”

“She loves you,” Allura said, voice gentle.

“We have some years to make up,” Keith answered neutrally. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to explore that scarring tonight.

Allura, sensing that the conversation was done, turned for the door. “Goodnight Keith, get some sleep.”

“You too,” Keith said, and listened to her footsteps until they were out of his hearing.

The stars, unfamiliar to him, stretched out in an infinite expanse. Keith wondered if there were constellations, and if they had names bestowed upon them by the people that inhabited this quadrant of the universe.

“Where are you, Shiro?” he whispered.

***

_“They weren’t even close, were they?” Shiro asked Black, resigned._

_Black wasn’t sure, but the answer seemed to be no._

_“He won’t give up on you,” was the reassurance that Shiro received._

_“He gave up on the clone,” Shiro disagreed._

_“That wasn’t you,” Black chided. “He too is my pilot, I know his heart as I know yours. He will not give up, not in this lifetime.”_

_Shiro sighed, studying the purple cast that the astral plane placed on his body. “I don’t want him to waste his life looking for me when I might not even be able to be found.”_

_“Stop pitying yourself,” Black reprimanded him, and Shiro smiled sourly._

_“I’ll try. At least I can sense and hear him when he pilots you, even if he’s so far from my reach,” Shiro allowed._

_Keith, Keith, Keith. Bring me home. Bring me home to you._

***

The team was diligent and methodical as they checked base after base. They freed an untold number of prisoners, but still no Shiro. Kuron was transferred to Olkarian, and Keith was uneasy about him being out of sight, but there was nothing else to do. Haggar was suspiciously quiet, even as they tore their way through the remains of the empire.

Keith swung Black around, unleashing firepower that rippled across the side of the cruiser. “Anything?” he yelled into the comms.

“No, pick me up,” Krolia said.

“I’ve got your back Keith, go ahead,” Allura said, and Blue dropped in beside Black, freezing a sentry that was firing on Red.

“They’ll be disabled when I get through with them,” Lance muttered.

Keith ignored him, swinging in and holding Black steady until Krolia joined him in the cabin. Something tweaked his awareness and he yanked on the controls, swinging Black around just in time to avoid a full impact hit from an ion cannon.

“We need to take that thing out,” Keith said, moving into place between Green and Red. “Form Voltron!”

Krolia hung onto the back of his seat as they came together. This was only her second time flying with him, and her first when they formed Voltron.

“Hold on,” Keith told her grimly. “Lance, form sword.”

“My pleasure,” Lance said, and slammed his bayard into the slot. “Pidge, you ready with the shield?”

“I’m always ready,” Pidge snarked, drawing a laugh from Allura.

“Alright, let’s take this thing out. Sendak needs his fleet trimmed,” Keith said.

Lance swung the sword back and then drove home, nearly slicing the ion cannon completely off the top of the cruiser.

Pidge yelled her approval and Voltron finished the job, cutting open the side of the ship and sending it up in flames.

“Good job team, let’s go home,” Keith said, and they broke apart, heading for their designated hangars.

Krolia headed down the ramp as soon as Black set down, but Keith lingered. Battle had occupied his mind and distracted him, but it came back to him now. They’d hit yet another base, and still didn’t find Shiro. It was crushing. Keith leaned forward in the seat and covered his face with his hands. He needed to stop getting his hopes up, because every base that didn’t yield Shiro was a knife in his chest, and he had quite the collection now.

“Why, why does this happen to us?” he half-sobbed, the sound muffled by his palms.

Maybe the universe had a grudge against them. Maybe Keith had been horrible in a past life, and this was his punishment. Maybe half-Galra runaways just didn’t deserve a happy ending.

_***_

_“Help him,” Shiro pleaded with Black, agonized._

_His fists clenched at his sides, frustratingly unable to touch, to comfort. Touch always worked best with Keith. It was real: you couldn’t fake touch, couldn’t lie._

_“Telling him you’re here would only make it worse. He can’t hear you, and I cannot speak as directly to him as I can you. Your presence in the astral plane is what makes that possible,” Black answered, though Shiro could tell it wasn’t happy with that._

_Shiro thumped his fist against the surface he sat on and was frustrated that it wasn’t real enough to hurt. He wanted to curl up and sob. Keith was hurting, and Shiro ached to hold that slender body against his until they both were okay. As long as it took._

_A single tear slipped down his cheek, glistening purple._

_***_

Keith flinched as Black’s presence covered him like a blanket, stronger than anything he’d felt from the lion before. After a moment he settled and let the sensation lull him into numbness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I made you sad on a Monday and I'm very sorry. We can only go up from here though ;) Also idk why the formatting hates me, sorry bout that, I'll have to mess with it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has to decide just how much he trusts Lotor, and the Holts lend Keith some love.

Keith was on the training deck when Allura and Lotor sought him out. He was mid sequence with a training bot but paused it as Allura called out his name.

“Yeah?” he said, swiping his sweaty bangs out of his face.

“Can we talk a moment? Lotor and I have an idea,” Allura said.

Keith raised an eyebrow but let his bayard retract to its resting state. He’d had a disagreement yesterday with Allura over where their priorities should be. It was hard when he knew that they should be instating the new energy source Allura had come up with when his heart screamed for him to find Shiro.

“We need to take out Haggar,” Lotor said flatly. “She and my former generals attempted to go to Oriande, and we need to put an end to whatever her workings are. But to do that we first need to eliminate Sendak.”

“Sendak has retreated a quadrant closer to Haggar, that’s a lot of ships to go through,” Keith pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t sure how Lotor had gotten that intel, and it made him more than a little leery.

“Keith, Lotor thinks he knows why we haven’t been able to find Shiro on any of the outer bases,” Allura interrupted. “Shiro is probably being held near wherever she is, since after all, she placed the clone in our midst.”

Keith pressed his lips together. Kuron was now off the castle ship and spending time with the Olkari, who’d determined that something had been planted in his mind to enable Haggar to use him as a conduit. From what Coran had told him, Kuron was at peace on Olkarian. For some reason being off the castle ship reduced the number of possession-flares.

“Are you just saying that so I’ll go along with whatever you have planned?” Keith asked bluntly. He trusted Allura not to pull a stunt like that on him, but Lotor…

“No!” Allura said, distressed. “I really do think that this might be our best shot at finding Shiro.”

“I owe you a life debt, paladin,” Lotor said thoughtfully. “I would not ask for your help lightly.

“No you don’t,” Keith disagreed, trying not to sound like a petulant child. “You saved my life first when you dropped that shield at Naxela.”

Allura’s concerned gaze fell on him, but he ignored it. Keith had never felt the need to bring it up to the paladins because it was his decision. He would have done anything to save the team and save countless other people. There was no choice there. Mercifully Matt had kept quiet about it as well, although he’d smacked Keith upside the head the next chance he got. Keith let him have it, it came from a place of concern, and he’d come to an understanding with Matt long ago at the Garrison.

“Okay, this is not a competition over who has saved whose life,” Allura said. “Keith, what do you think?”

Keith lifted his chin. “The chance to save Shiro and take out Sendak? We need to at least try,” he said firmly. “I think we should bring the Blades and the rebels in on it though.”

Allura nodded agreement. “I can reach out to the rebels if you’ll reach out to the Blades? Any intel they might have on Haggar’s ship and crew would be helpful.”

“I can check the records as well,” Lotor put in.

“Good, then let’s get moving. It’s far past time to bring Shiro home.”

***

“So Shiro has a clone, and you found your mom,” Matt said from where he lounged on the couch. “Incredible.”

“Yeah,” Keith confirmed, though he sounded far less amused by it than Matt did.

Pidge, who was on the other side of her brother, pinched his bicep.

“Ow, hey! What was that for Katie?” Matt protested, flinching back.

“Because I can,” Pidge said, sugar sweet.

It was enough to draw a tiny smile from Keith, whose brow had become permanently fixed into a frown. The more times they failed to find Shiro, the greater the chasm in his chest became. Every inch of him yearned desperately, and Keith wouldn’t let himself stop to consider that his feelings exceeded that which people typically felt for even the closest friends. That would just make it hurt more.

“Is it weird that I’m not surprised that the person we thought was Shiro is a clone?” Matt mused aloud. “He seemed a bit off, but then we’ve gone through so much.”

Keith sighed in agreement. They were far from the bright-eyed Garrison recruits that they’d been. Shiro and Matt had been his only friends at the Garrison, but Keith had never felt the need for anyone else. They, and in particular Shiro, were more than enough for him.

Matt looked over as Pidge nudged him, reading the dark under-eye shadows and heavy weight that seemed to pin Keith where he stood.

“We’re going to find him and bring him home, Keith,” Matt said gently. “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

“I’ve already failed so many times though,” Keith breathed, despair stealing its way into his mind.

“Keith,” Matt murmured and stood, reaching for his friend.

Keith trembled and Pidge jumped up. Together the Holts sandwiched Keith in a hug, holding him together.

“We’re going to get him, Keith. We’re going to get him,” Pidge whispered.

***

Keith felt Black’s eagerness almost as intensely as his own, the lion wanted its paladin back and safe. Keith tightened his hands around the controls. Something more brushed the edge of his consciousness, soft but insistent. The familiarity sent a shudder down his spine. It felt like home. He hardly dared think it, but it felt like _Shiro_.

“Are we ready?” Keith spoke into the comms, forcing his voice to be level. This was it.

They would form Voltron first and disable the weapons, then Keith and Krolia would split off in Black to find Shiro while the rest of the team dealt with Sendak. Lotor in particular had a bone to pick with him.

“Yes,” was the resounding answer, and Keith took a breath. “Form Voltron.”

Keith had to give it to Sendak, because he didn’t make it easy for them. Even with the rebels’ help they were pressed fighting Sendak’s fleet. The largest ship, which Lotor deemed most likely to be holding prisoners based on the intel from the Galra headquarters, hung back.

“If we wipe out most of the fleet and the weapons, you guys can cover me while I go in,” Keith said, and Pidge grunted in agreement.

“If we form the shoulder cannon, we might be able to wipe out their ion cannon,” Hunk added.  
“It shouldn’t take us too long to get through the fleet since Matt has our backs.”

Keith was fairly certain that Pidge puffed up with pride.

“Let’s do it then. Allura, you good?” Keith asked.

“I’m on it,” Allura reassured them. “Go for it Hunk.”

Hunk grinned wickedly and let his bayard do the work. They took a couple hits that Keith would have preferred to avoid, but they took out the ion cannons.  
  
“Alright Keith, it’s time for you to go,” Pidge said, and Voltron disbanded back into five separate lions.

“We’ll watch your back, and Lotor’s,” Lance promised. “Bring him home, Keith.”

Keith’s throat was tight, but he managed a choked, “Thanks guys.”

Krolia was silent as he swung Black around and made for the large battle cruiser that lingered, the last without too serious damage to it. Getting on board was a little messy, but they managed, and Krolia didn’t suggest that they split up. They’d both studied the plans, and methodically checked every possible area where a prisoner might be held.

Keith was getting desperate when Krolia’s low voice broke through. “Let’s check Sendak’s personal quarters,” she suggested, and Keith could only nod in agreement.

They covered the distance at a brisk jog, there were very few people in the halls since they were occupied trying to protect the ship. Krolia got the door to open and they darted inside. The rooms were large, and Keith and Krolia separated to cover them.

Keith found the stasis pod first, and the figure floating inside of it was unmistakable. The sound that escaped his lips was inhuman, and close enough to a wail that Krolia came running with her gun drawn. She stopped dead in front of the pod just as Keith had, eyes widening. Keith pressed his palm to the glass, shoulders shaking as he took in Shiro’s battered form. They had him in stasis, but it was clear they hadn’t taken the time to heal him before they’d thrown him in. His muscled torso was marked with bruises and cuts, some large enough to be concerning.

Keith was frozen, but Krolia shut off the pod and suddenly Shiro’s unconscious form was tumbling into Keith’s arms. Keith caught him, grunting with the effort but holding Shiro as gently as he knew how. Krolia waited, making sure that Keith was capable of carrying Shiro before they sped off down the hallway to Black. She would have carried Shiro herself, but she knew better than to try and take him from Keith. It concerned her that Shiro hadn’t woken immediately when they freed him from stasis, but she did not voice her concerns aloud.

Black’s roar when they brought Shiro into the cockpit made the whole ship shake. Keith sank into the chair, arranging Shiro in his lap with care, and still managed to reach the controls.  
  
“Light them up, Black,” he said, the words a vicious snarl, and let the lion have control.

Black unleashed every ounce of fury it possessed on the ship. Keith barely had to do anything, Black had enough ideas about what it would do to the people that had held its paladin captive. Keith settled for smoothing Shiro’s stark white forelock and frowned when Shiro failed to wake.

“Something is wrong,” he murmured, and Krolia couldn’t help but agree.

“Let’s get him back to the castle, Allura might know something,” Krolia suggested.

Black took off. Over the comms, the rest of the paladins were vocal in questioning Keith, but he ignored them until they were safely back in Black’s hangar. He had no idea if Lotor had killed Sendak, but he didn’t care. Krolia exited the Black lion first, and after a long moment of keeping Shiro selfishly to himself, Keith followed.

Shiro’s head was tucked against Keith’s shoulder, and man was he heavy. Pidge ran forward first, concern lighting up her features.

“Is he—“ she asked fearfully.

“He’s alive,” Keith said, and panic turned the edges of his vision fuzzy. “But he won’t wake up, I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Keith felt disconnected, like any moment he might topple over an invisible ledge into oblivion. Pidge gripped his elbow, and the rest of the paladins fell in around them. Allura’s gaze met his briefly, seeking permission, and she laid a hand on Shiro’s forehead. Her eyes shuttered as she reached out with her magic, and Keith held his breath.

“His body is here, but his essence… his essence is somewhere else,” Allura murmured, confused and concerned.

“What do you mean, somewhere else?” Keith asked, his voice rising in panic. Had he not gotten Shiro back after all?

“Hey, remember when he tried to talk to me in that weird, mindscape plane thing? Maybe… maybe he’s there?” Lance said.

Allura eyed him thoughtfully. “Didn’t Shiro fight Zarkon in the astral plane? Black is clearly capable of taking people there.”

Keith tightened his grasp on Shiro. “Do I… do I have to go there? And bring him back?”

“You could try,” Allura said softly.

That was enough for him. Keith nodded tightly, and let Pidge help him sit down, still refusing to let go of Shiro. Krolia hovered close.

“Black, can you do that?” Keith said, and the feeling that Black sent him felt like ‘finally.’

Keith closed his eyes and opened himself up to wherever Black was going to take him. Patience yields focus. He could do this. When he reopened them, everything was tinted purple and he was no longer in the castle.

“Shiro?” he called, striding forward. There was no answer, and he kept walking. Keith had no way to tell how far he’d gone until the lion finally became exasperated with him.

“Do not look for him in the physical sense, look inside of you. Call him back,” Black instructed.

Keith had never heard formed words from Black before, it must have been something to do with the astral plane. He listened and looked inside himself, reaching past the surface to a far deeper level. There he found memories of the early days when he first met Shiro at the Garrison. A kind older student, and someone that Keith looked up to. Someone who became his friend, and then his closest companion. Someone who Keith would give his life for without so much as blinking, and who would do the same in return. Shiro was a man who loved the stars, loved the freedom of flying and quiet nights in the desert. He loved mac and cheese, corny movies, and bad jokes. He worked himself too hard, and never slept quite enough. Takashi Shirogane. Shiro. The one person Keith loved so deeply that he never could find the farthest reach of his feelings.

And then, he was there, flickering into transparent purple existence before Keith’s eyes. Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK WHO IT IS, IT'S YA BOY. Almost 18K later, it's Shirooooo <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro returns at last.

“Keith,” Shiro said, and the name fell from his lips like a fervent prayer. “Oh, Keith.”

Tears dripped down Keith’s cheeks as he reached out and clasped Shiro’s hand. “It’s time to come home, Shiro,” he whispered. “Come home.”

Shiro’s form, transparent and purple, flickered and Keith tightened his grip. There was no way in hell he was ever letting go of Shiro again. Around them, Black’s roar reverberated, calling them home, home, home.

Keith didn’t even process the fraction of a second that it took for them to return to their true bodies. Everything went from purple to a gentle white. The moment Shiro’s form stirred in his arms, Keith clutched him close, hiding his sobs in Shiro’s chest. Shiro held on in return with whatever strength he had left, taking the moment to process. Everyone else was forced to wait, but they were okay with that. Shiro was back.

When Keith finally relinquished his death grip on Shiro, they helped the man sit up. Keith was right beside him, refusing to budge. His deep purple eyes glinted with tears, but he was beaming. Shiro was immensely grateful for the way Keith pressed against his side and grounded him with one arm around his torso.

“Man am I glad to see you guys,” Shiro rasped. Dark circles marked his weariness, but he could feel nothing but relief. After so long, to see them again… to see Keith. Shiro could never again take them for granted.

Keith had shift to brace them because the paladins descended on them in what could only be described as a dog pile.

“Careful!” Keith snapped, and the arms that settled around them were gentle.

Keith wasn’t sure who all was crying, but he was, and suspected that Shiro was too. Pidge was at his side, dripping big fat tears on his shoulder. They stayed in the massive hug for far longer than was probably necessary, but no one seemed to care.

“Alright, up, up,” Pidge said, peeling back. “Shiro needs a trip to the healing pod.”

Reluctantly everyone but Keith pulled back. Keith waited a moment and then helped Shiro to his feet. He was wobbly, but stood on his own power. Krolia hovered behind them, ready to catch him.

“Uh… Keith?” Pidge said uncertainly. “What’s that on your face?”

Keith reached up unconsciously and touched his cheek. “I—I have no idea? I can’t see it Pidge,” he said dryly.

Krolia came around beside him, eyes widening as she took in whatever Pidge was going on about. Hesitant fingers reached out, and Keith held still as she brushed her fingers from his jaw up part of his cheek. She then mimicked the gesture on her own cheek, tracing the mark there. Understanding hit Keith as Krolia gave a small, slightly watery smile.

“We shall speak later,” she said softly, and nodded toward Shiro. “Get Shiro to bed.”

Shiro looked highly confused but said nothing as Keith helped him out of the room before the paladins could start asking questions that Keith didn’t have the answers to. Shiro had always known when to ask questions and when to let Keith talk about things when he was ready. This was clearly something Keith preferred to leave until later. Keith took Shiro to his room, because Shiro’s room still made Keith’s skin crawl with the thought of the clone sleeping there.

Keith sat Shiro down on his bed and started rooting around for the medical supplies he kept stashed. Shiro watched him with half-lidded eyes, admiring and simply letting himself adjust to the fact that Keith was _here_ and that he was home.

“Keith,” Shiro breathed, needy and yearning.

There’d always been something unspoken between them that they tiptoed around. Shiro felt it more powerfully now, and he’d spent a lot of time in the astral plane turning it over and over in his mind. When he realized that he might never get out of the astral plane, Shiro resolved himself that if he did, he would tell Keith the feelings he’d been holding in for so long.

“Shiro?” Keith said, and the care that shaped his name made Shiro shudder. “Are you okay?”

“Better than,” Shiro murmured. Unbidden his fingers stretched out, reaching as if they could capture Keith and haul him in close.

They didn’t need to because Keith understood and came, sinking down onto the bed next to Shiro. Keith’s face was open, with his emotions on display in a way that Shiro was not accustomed to. Shiro studied the purple mark that curved on Keith’s cheek, a new development evidently. It was strange, but Shiro rather thought it suited him, and he captured Keith’s face with gently his palm. His hand was large enough that it could hold most of Keith’s head in it: something that Shiro couldn’t help but marvel at. There was a long pause where Keith leaned into the touch, and then whatever sliver of control Keith had been holding on to broke.

Keith threw his arms around Shiro and hid his face in Shiro’s collarbone, muffling the choked sob that worked its way out of his chest.

“I’m sorry Takashi, I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith and held him close in a way that he’d only dreamed of doing. He nuzzled the top of Keith’s head, breathing in the warm, familiar scent.

“What are you sorry about?” Shiro asked, sliding a hand soothingly up and down Keith’s back. Tears welled in his eyes and he blinked them back.

“I thought he was you,” Keith said hoarsely. “I stopped looking.”

Shiro cradled the back of Keith’s head tenderly with his Galra hand. “He fooled everyone Keith, that’s not your fault. I know how hard it was for you, and I’m sorry.”

Keith made a strangled noise at that but turned his head so he could give Shiro a confused look.

“Black visited me in the astral plane, and whenever you flew Black, I could sense you, hear you,” Shiro explained.

Keith stilled, cheeks flushing. “Oh…”

Shiro’s brows drew together. “No, I’m sorry I put that mantle on your shoulders Keith. You shouldn’t have to lead if you don’t want to.”

A wry smile tugged at Keith’s lips, and Shiro’s heart ached. “Funny thing is, I think I’ve finally figured it out,” Keith said.

From what Shiro could tell, Keith really had. “I’m so proud of you,” Shiro murmured.

Keith made a soft noise of protest but Shiro only hugged him closer.

“Keith?” Shiro said, fully intending to tell Keith exactly he felt. But in the moment it took for Keith to hum an inquisitive reply, guilt took over. He did not deserve the loyalty or the love of the man held so gently in his arms. He’d disappeared out of Keith’s life not once, but twice, leaving him shattered in his wake. Shiro couldn’t do that to Keith, not again.

So instead of telling Keith he loved him, Shiro selfishly said, “Will you stay tonight?”

“You’re in my room,” Keith pointed out cheekily, but the answer was clearly a yes. “I need to patch you up though, unless you want to go in a healing pod.”

Shiro tensed. “No pod,” he said. It was too similar to the stasis tank he’d just escaped.

Keith gave him a gentle squeeze. “Okay, no pod.”

Belatedly, Shiro realized that Keith should have taken him straight to a healing pod. Instead, he’d brought him here. How Keith had guessed that Shiro wanted nothing to do with a healing pod after his time in stasis was beyond him.

Keith extracted himself from Shiro’s grasp, missing Shiro’s disappointed little sigh. Keith was caught up in his own guilt and reeling from the reality of having Shiro back. Shiro peeled off his shirt and Keith set to work patching him up. It was a familiar routine, and Shiro let his eyes drift closed.

“Who is the Galra woman?” Shiro asked quietly.

Keith paused in his ministrations. “That.. is a long story. It’s better explained with her there.”

Shiro sensed that there was a lot more going on with that than Keith let on, so he let it go.

“How did you end up in the astral plane?” Keith countered with a question of his own.

Shiro grimaced, and Keith brushed hesitant fingers across a particularly nasty looking bruise.

“Haggar did something witchy that snatched my body out of Black, but Black held onto my essence,” Shiro explained, staring vacantly at the wall. “Black didn’t want me to have to experience that… not again.”

Keith could not have been more grateful to the Black lion. Shiro’s time in Galra captivity had already left too many physical and emotional scars. Keith was glad Black had been able to shield him from more. He finished what he was doing and set the medical supplies aside.

“You need to rest,” Keith murmured.

Shiro meekly took the spot near the wall, and Keith settled in beside him after turning the lights down. Sleeping in a bed was so foreign that Shiro couldn’t drift off as easily as he’d hoped. Beside him, he was certain that Keith was awake too, based on the tempo of his breathing.

“Takashi?” Keith whispered, and Shiro thought his voice sounded painfully young.

“Yes Keith?”

“Don’t you dare disappear again,” Keith said, voice shaky.

God, he’d hurt him so bad. “I’ll do my best,” Shiro answered, because lord knew promising hadn’t worked for him in the past.

Keith let out a breath and Shiro closed his eyes, seeking Keith’s hand under the covers. Keith’s hand was dwarfed by Shiro’s but he laced their fingers together and held on with a ferocity that sent Shiro’s heart stuttering. In the end, it was Keith’s soft breathing that soothed Shiro to sleep.

***

Shiro woke to Keith’s slender form star-fished over him and dark hair practically in his mouth. Keith was out cold and didn’t even stir when Shiro ran tentative fingers through Keith’s hair. Shiro wondered when the last time Keith had slept well was. Probably not for a long time, which was an upsetting thought. Sleep had been weird in the astral plane, and Shiro felt tired all the way down to his bones. He laid quietly and savored the moment, refusing to disturb Keith’s sleep. It was selfish of him, soaking up the comfort of Keith’s warm hold, but Shiro couldn’t help himself.

“Shiro?” Keith mumbled sleepily, purple eyes squinting in the low light.

“Morning,” Shiro answered quietly. “Did you sleep okay?”

Keith nodded blearily, sleep creases from Shiro’s shirt on his cheek, and then seemed to realize where he was.

“Sorry,” Keith said, panicked, and rolled off Shiro before Shiro could protest. It left him feeling empty, but he disguised it with easy humor.

“I forgot you were a sprawler,” Shiro teased him gently.

“It’s because you’re big enough to take up most of the bed,” Keith retorted, relaxing.

“Hmm, maybe,” Shiro allowed, chuckling.

“C’mon, let’s get some food in you,” Keith said, sliding out of bed.

Shiro followed reluctantly. It was peaceful, tucked away in Keith’s room, but they both had a responsibility to the team. Keith dressed and dug up Shiro’s favorite set of clothes, which he pulled on gladly.

Hunk was waiting in the kitchen, and the moment he saw Shiro he insisted on stuffing him full of just about everything in the cabinets. Keith quietly tucked into his own food, but he stuck close to Shiro. The rest of the team trickled in, smiling sleepily at Shiro. Krolia was last. She tended not to intrude on paladin gatherings unless explicitly invited, but she wanted to meet Shiro.

They locked gazes across the table and Keith pushed to his feet. Shiro stood as well and was surprised to find that the mystery woman had a good inch on him. Keith swallowed hard.

“Shiro, this is Krolia, my mother. Mom, this is Shiro,” Keith said, and Krolia’s eyes widened.

Keith hadn’t called her mom up until this moment, and Shiro’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He looked between the two of them and damn… the resemblance was uncanny. And Keith… Keith had called her ‘Mom.’ He could see it on Pidge’s face, she was as shocked as he was.

Shiro knew more of Keith’s history than anyone, and still there were details that he didn’t know. He did know that Keith harbored a deep mistrust for parental figures because of his childhood. Krolia met his gaze and held it. The look they exchanged was equally protective, but Shiro caught the glimmer of gratefulness that was only for him to see.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Shiro said politely, reaching out and clasped Krolia’s arm in a greeting.

She smiled sharply, “I like you much better than the other one.”

Shiro’s brows shot up, but Lance didn’t bother to hide his guffaw. Keith looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Great, okay. Can we focus on figuring out how to take out Haggar now? Show’s over people,” Keith said irritably.

Shiro reclaimed his seat and Krolia went to get herself food. She liked him better than the clone, sure, but Shiro had no doubt that if he hurt Keith, she’d make him pay. He was okay with that. It made him feel just a little bit better to know that there might be another person in this world that cared about Keith as much as he did. The number was rising slowly, but Shiro wanted more than anything for Keith to be surrounded by people that loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I see Shiro and Keith feeling immense amounts of guilt respectively for the pain they think they've caused the other, and I hope this process of them figuring things out feels as natural for you guys as it does for me. They gotta come to terms with what's happened before any soul-baring feelings happen. (There will be soul-baring feelings don't you worry, this is Shiro and Keith after all). Hope you guys enjoyed the reunion <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia teaches Keith about his mark, and both Shiro and Keith learn how to live with their guilt.

“What does the mark mean?” Keith asked, angling his chin so that he could look Krolia in the eye.

They stood side by side on the observation deck, listening to the quiet hum of the castle ship. Shiro was still asleep, and though Keith was loathe to leave him, this conversation and Shiro’s sleep were important. He played down his injuries, but Keith knew better. If he wouldn’t go in a healing pod, he’d have to rest and heal the old-fashioned way.

“The marks are hereditary in our family, but hold special meaning,” Krolia said, her tone contemplative. “Not everyone earns them.”

“They have to be earned?” Keith was confused, and lightly touched his cheek where the mark rested.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about it, and the way it looked, curving up his cheek before disappearing down his neck. Shiro didn’t seem to mind it, which mostly settled things for Keith. He’d never been that vain of his looks anyway, even with Lance’s teasing.

“Yes. They are earned in a display of great courage, usually an act of love,” Krolia said wistfully.

“How…how did you get yours?” Keith asked, not quite ready to consider the implications of his own mark.

Krolia’s gaze was distant, and Keith could read the sadness in the lines of her shoulders. She touched her right cheek. “This one is for my family. I failed to save all of them, and they are the reason that I joined the Blade’s in the first place. The Galra empire is not kind.”

The old pain that rippled off of her prompted Keith to offer a tentative hand, which she took and held gently.

“The second is for your father. It was not under kind circumstances that we came together, but it was love that held,” Krolia finished.

Keith took that in, and for a long while nothing but their quiet breaths disturbed the silence.

“I want to be worthy of our heritage,” Keith murmured. “And I’d like to know more about our family.”

“You are already, Keith,” Krolia said firmly. “I will tell you about them in time. Once we finish this war.”

The losses were something she was not yet ready to speak of. They were clutched protectively to her chest and held there in silence for so long that she didn’t know how to do anything but. But they were Keith’s family too, and her son deserved to know.

Keith nodded. That was more than okay with him.

***

As much as Shiro wanted to jump right back in to paladin life, Keith wasn’t having it, and the team backed him up. Resigned, Shiro let them sideline him as he got caught up on things and recovered. It seemed he’d missed more than he’d ever imagined possible.

There was a half-Galra who came and went from the castle ship, Lotor, that Allura told him was Zarkon’s son. She also told him that Lotor had killed Zarkon not long ago. The information was enough to make Shiro stagger, and he was grateful that Keith’s solid presence held him up.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Keith said quietly. “I wasn’t there for it either, if it makes you feel better.”

“Why weren’t you there?” Shiro asked, confused.

Around them, the team shuffled uncomfortably.

“Well, uh… Keith and the clone, Kuron, didn’t really get along, and Keith was doing missions with the Blades,” Hunk explained, nervously tapping his fingers together. “So uh, yeah, Keith kind of left the team for a while.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Keith said, his gaze anywhere but on Shiro’s face.

Shiro disagreed. It was a big deal, but this was not the time to ask Keith about it. He settled his hand on Keith’s shoulder, a touch between them that was still safe despite the feelings he had to swallow down.

“I see. Anything else life-changing that I missed?” Shiro asked lightly.

“Oh, you know. Just minor things. We’ve taken back a lot of quadrants that were under Galra control, Lotor is now emperor of the Galra empire, and he and Allura have developed a new energy source to replace quintessence,” Pidge listed off, using her fingers to count. “Oh, and if we take out Haggar this war might end for real.”

It was enough to make Shiro’s head spin, and he said as much.

Lance grinned, “I know, you’ll get used to it though. It’s good to have you back, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled, wondering how long it’d take for him to get used to this new team dynamic. Lance had clearly matured in his absence, and he had an inkling that Keith had grown up a lot as well.

“Ah!” Hunk exclaimed, “Pidge, you didn’t tell him that we found Matt and your dad!”

Relief was a sucker-punch to the gut, and Keith leaned towards him, pressing their sides together. “Are they okay? Where are they now?” Shiro asked breathlessly.

Pidge beamed at him. “Matt is with the rebels, and Dad is on his way home to Earth to warn the Garrison. He took messages home for our families,” she said, and then paused, frowning at both Shiro and Keith. “I’m sorry if there were any messages you guys wanted to send. Kuron said something about Iverson, but that was it.”

Keith spluttered. “Oh no, he didn’t…”

Shiro’s feelings on Iverson were muddled by history and more recent events, like being strapped to a table. “I can’t say that I like the man very much right now, but is there a problem with that Keith?”

Keith tensed beneath Shiro’s hand and seemed to shrink. “I uh… Iverson and I aren’t on very good terms,” Keith mumbled. “We had a… disagreement on why the Kerberos mission disappeared, and I punched him.”

Lance’s jaw dropped. “No… that’s not why his eye--?”

Keith squirmed. “I mean…”

Lance’s eyebrows shot up and Pidge covered her mouth with her hands. Hunk looked scandalized.

“That is… wow. Just wow Keith,” Lance managed.  

Shiro let them process before he answered Pidge’s initial concern. “But no, thank you Pidge. There isn’t anyone I need to contact back on Earth, and no one Keith would contact either.”

He glanced at Keith for confirmation, and Keith nodded. Pidge’s eyes narrowed on them, and Shiro guessed that she was trying to put more pieces together about the both of them. That was fine, she wouldn’t get far with his past. It was something that he considered behind him, and irrelevant. Keith though… he supposed that a piece of Keith’s history now also lived in the castle.

***

“How’s Keith?” Allura asked Shiro, sliding him a sly look as he stood next to her on the bridge.

Keith himself was downstairs with the paladins and Krolia, presumably teaching Lance how to wield his Altean broadsword correctly. Allura was immensely grateful to Krolia for that, because whenever she tried to teach Lance, he chattered constantly and tried her patience despite her affection for him. Krolia at least awed him into silence.

Shiro half-turned to her, confusion scrunching his face. “He’s okay,” he said instinctively, and then registered what her look meant. “It’s not like that, Allura,” he protested.

The look Allura gave him was straight out of Pidge’s sarcastic handbook. Damn her. Pidge needed to stop teaching the Alteans about those little human quirks.

“I may not have a full understanding of Earthen courtship, but even I know something is going on there,” Allura said.

Shiro rubbed a hand over his face. “It can’t be like that,” he mumbled.

“And why not?” Allura asked promptly. “Do you not feel that way about him?”

Her bright eyes focused on him, and Shiro felt exposed. His shoulders slumped, and she slid closer to him.

“I can’t—I don’t…” Shiro struggled for words. “I’ve hurt him far too many times, Allura.”

It hurt to say it out loud, and Shiro closed his mouth. Talking about it would only make it worse, the pounding ache in his chest was bad enough already. Allura’s slender hand landed on his elbow and Shiro shuddered.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, but Shiro tensed anyway. “Shiro…”  she began, and he couldn’t imagine why she sounded so sad. “If you mean the disappearances, none of that was your fault, and you have to know he doesn’t blame you for that.”

“But I _hurt_ him,” Shiro argued.

Allura’s lips were pursed. “The _world_ has hurt him, Shiro. From what I understand, you’re one of the few good things in his life.”

Shiro bowed his head, “I really don’t think so.”

Arms enveloped him and Shiro hesitated a moment before returning the hug. Allura’s head barely came to his shoulder, but he heard her clearly anyway.

“Do you need me to tell you how badly he missed you? He had… a really hard time, Shiro. And I’m afraid we weren’t very good about helping him through it,” Allura said quietly. “Don’t push him away.”

“But—” Shiro mumbled and received a ferocious squeeze that nearly knocked the wind out of him.

“No,” Allura said firmly. “Let go of your guilt, Shiro. You cannot carry the weight of things out of your control, it will break you.”

She stepped back, and Shiro looked into eyes that glittered with sorrow. Allura was a survivor of a race that had been almost completely wiped out, Shiro could not argue with her about guilt.

“Okay,” he breathed. “Okay. I will try, Allura.”

Her smile was brief, but blinding. Shiro felt like lead.

***

“Keith, focus,” Krolia snapped, and swept his feet out from under him.

He landed flat on his back with a grunt as the air left his lungs. He laid there for a moment until he could breathe again and protest.

“I am focused,” Keith grumbled and pushed up on his elbows.

Krolia fixed him with a look that said she wasn’t buying that for a second. Quiet as ghosts, the other paladins scattered. Keith thought they had an awfully bad habit of doing that whenever they thought he needed a moment alone with Krolia.

Keith sighed through his nose. “Fine, I was worrying about Shiro.”

Krolia sank down gracefully next to him, legs folding beneath her. “Ah yes, loverboy. Is that not going well?”

Keith choked. “Loverboy?” he spluttered. “I don’t—I…what?”

Krolia looked perplexed. “I may be rusty on Earth customs, but I don’t think that I’m that rusty, Keith. Are you not courting each other? You sleep in the same room, touch each other all the time… Need I go on?”

Keith buried his face in his palms to hide the way his cheeks burned furiously. She wasn’t wrong, but Keith was trying to shove his feelings down and out of sight.

“Keith,” Krolia said more gently. She reached over and waited until he gave a tiny nod to place her hand on his shoulder. “What are you holding back for? You love him?”

Keith winced at her bluntness. “I do,” he whispered.

The smile Krolia gave him was sharp, “Then don’t let him get away, my son. Love is precious, do not waste it because you think you’re not worthy.”

His heart clenched painfully, and he leaned into her touch, seeking the comfort it offered. Her arm slid around his shoulder so that his head could settle neatly against her collarbone. He could tell that she was holding her breath, but he pretended not to notice. This… this was something he’d missed out on his entire life. The touch of a mother, the touch of someone who loved him…

Keith turned his head to hide the tears that leaked down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry Keith,” Krolia whispered. “I’m so sorry.” She said something else in the Galra language, and while Keith had only picked up bits and pieces from the Blades, it struck a familiar chord in him. It sounded like peace and comfort, and it sounded like love.

Gentle fingers combed through Keith’s hair, setting the tangled strands to right. He turned to jelly, breaths coming in uneven tremors as he fought down sobs. They sat quietly until he regained himself.

“Thank you,” he said finally, straightening up.

“I am here for you,” she said, and smiled. It was a tiny thing, but Keith liked it. “You’re going to get your man?”

Keith nodded, even if fear still coursed through him at the thought.

The smile turned wicked, “You have my taste in men.”

Keith scrambled to his feet. “Grossss,” he complained. “Can you not?”

When he thought about it though, his father… Well, she wasn’t wrong. It was an uncomfortable realization that he pushed as far into the back of his mind as it would go. Yikes.

He was spared from thinking about it by Allura’s summons. Everyone was already on the bridge when Keith arrived, but he went to Shiro’s side, and the ease with which he reclaimed his old place made his heart race. Shiro’s hand found his shoulder, and Keith caught himself smiling.

Lance was making faces at him from the other side of Allura, as was Pidge, but he ignored them in favor of listening to Allura.

“Voltron is needed,” she said bluntly. “I thought we cleaned out almost all the rebel generals, but it seems we missed one. Keith?”

Keith’s smile faltered, and he glanced up at Shiro, who smiled softly at him and gave him a gentle push.

“We’ll fly together again soon,” Shiro promised, pitching his voice for Keith’s ears only. “Lead them, Keith.”

Warmth surged in Keith’s chest, and he hugged a surprised Shiro fiercely before taking off for Black’s hangar.

The team gaped after him.

“Are we uh… are we supposed to follow him? I guess?” Hunk said uncertainly.

Pidge recovered first. “Come on slow pokes, or we’ll get left,” she said, and darted after Keith.

Lance chased after her, followed by a resigned Hunk. Allura snuck a secret smile for Shiro and went last, drawing her hair into the usual bun.

Shiro watched them go and then stood at the helm, listening as Black sang out in his mind. He could feel it, the joy that Black felt about having its paladins back, its yearning for Shiro to join them.

“Next time,” he murmured, “Next time.”

It was enough to appease Black, who submitted to whatever Keith had in mind. Coran brought the castle around so that Shiro had a full view of the battle while they lent support. It was strange to watch Keith in Black, but Shiro had known from the day Keith had saved his life on that godforsaken planet that Black would accept him. Shiro had a feeling that Keith had a connection to all the lions, somehow. Blue had called to him in the desert, after all, even though Keith was not her paladin.

“Is it weird, watching?” a voice asked him, startling him out of his thoughts.

Shiro glanced over and found Krolia appraising him. “A little bit,” Shiro allowed. “Mostly it’s strange that everything isn’t tinted purple. I spent enough time in the astral plane that this is almost normal.”

That seemed to amuse Krolia, and the corner of her mouth quirked upwards.

“On your left, Keith!” Shiro said sharply into the comms, and was relieved when the Black lion banked neatly, avoiding a blast. “Good job Keith, team,” Shiro said. He couldn’t help it. Keith’s quiet chuckle told him it was okay.

“Backseat pilot,” Pidge teased as she swung Green around to blast the sentry that was on Lance’s tail.

“Let him be,” Allura chided.

“I missed you guys,” Shiro said softly, and then muted his comm so that he wouldn’t distract them further.

Krolia’s gaze was fixed on Black, but Shiro could tell she’d been listening.

‘He’s doing well,” Shiro said, and Krolia nodded agreement.

“From what I understand, it’s taken him a while to get there, but yes… he is incredible,” Krolia hummed.

Shiro breathed a sigh. “He’s amazing,” he said wistfully.

Krolia seemed unable to decide whether she wanted to laugh or smack him.

“What, are you harboring an untold amount of guilt too? What is it with this bunch,” Krolia grumbled. The fact that Shiro had not initialized the romantic relationship she felt was inevitable was telling.

Shiro stared at her and she held up her hands. “Not saying I’m not also doing it,” she corrected. “But really?”

Shiro directed his gaze back to Black, watching as the best part of him darted through the sky like he was born doing it.  
  
“I’ve disappeared far too many times, and it hurt him,” Shiro explained wearily.

“Ah,” Krolia said, understanding. “I think you know that I left Keith when he was very young? There was a war, and I didn’t want him to ever suffer the consequences of his heritage. The consequences of war.”

Shiro went still but didn’t interrupt her.

“A lot of things happen in war, Shiro. You know this. Bad things happen to good people, and you have to make the most of what you have and never let the good things go,” she continued. “I am earning back Keith’s trust, but I have you to thank that he’s here at all, that he’s okay.”

Shiro averted his eyes and she bumped his shoulder. “You gave him what I could not, don’t give up on that now.”

Shiro was beginning to suspect that the whole team had allied to get him and Keith together. Scoundrels.

“I’m glad you’re here for him now,” Shiro answered, and earned himself a smile.

“He needs both of us to watch him,” Krolia snorted, and that was that. She didn’t push him farther, but Shiro knew that she approved, in her own way at least.

The only person left to talk to was Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully there aren't too many typos in here, I was too tired to give it one last read through. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find them later. Anyway, can I just say, I McFrickin love Krolia with all my heart. She's about to have two sons and she loves it ;)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro talk it out.

Shiro went down to the hangar to meet the team. Pidge was first out, and nudged him, eyes gleaming with pride.

 

“We gotta get you back in the air,” she said, and Lance chimed in his agreement.

 

Allura and Hunk were slower to join them, and Keith was last. He tugged his helmet off, and Shiro watched, admiring. It was unfair how beautiful Keith was, even sweat-soaked and exhausted.

 

Keith was watching him in return and took several hesitant steps before he dropped his helmet and hurtled himself at Shiro. Shiro caught him, barely, and he had to take a step back to brace himself. Keith’s arms went around his neck and Shiro returned the hug, clutching Keith close.

 

“I’m so proud of you,” Shiro said, and Keith made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

 

“Can we talk later?” Keith asked, and Shiro refused to let himself think too hard about it. He wanted to talk to Keith anyway.

 

“Yeah, of course we can,” Shiro reassured him.

 

Lance cleared his throat pointedly, and it was enough for Keith to disengage to chase the Red lion’s pilot around the hangar.

 

***

‘Later’ turned out to be much, much later, after the paladins had showered and eaten. When Shiro hesitated outside his own room, Keith inclined his head. It was enough for Shiro to follow Keith instead. Shiro had been avoiding his room like the plague since Keith had brought him back. It sent chills up his spine to think about the other _him_ sleeping in there, and besides, he’d much rather sleep next to Keith.

 

“You okay?” Keith asked quietly as the door slid shut behind them.

 

“I—Yeah, I’m good,” Shiro said. “It’s weird though…how much the team grew and moved on without me,” he admitted.

 

Sadness and understanding flickered across Keith’s face. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

 

Shiro touched Keith’s shoulder lightly as he passed him to change into sleep clothes. It wasn’t something he’d been in the habit of doing before, but Keith was, and Shiro found it oddly comforting to share the routine.

 

Keith disappeared into the bathroom, and when he returned Shiro was seated on the edge of the bed, knee bouncing furiously. Swallowing down his nerves, Keith sank down on the bed next to Shiro. Shiro leaned over slightly and pressed his shoulder affectionately into Keith’s. It sent a tremor up Keith’s spine and he clung desperately to his courage.

 

“Shiro,” Keith said, at the same time Shiro said, “Keith.”

 

Shiro gave a breathy laugh, and Keith turned bright red. “You first,” Shiro said, and god did Keith wish he hadn’t.

 

“I uh.. I wanted to talk about us, actually,” Keith squeaked out.

 

The air caught in Shiro’s throat raggedly. “O-Okay,” he managed. It was stupid, how afraid he was of whatever was about to come out of Keith’s mouth.

 

Keith noticed and frowned, fingers closing around Shiro’s bicep. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

 

Shiro closed his eyes and tried hard not to tremble under Keith’s touch.

 

“I know, I know I’ve hurt you, so much... and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Keith, but I don’t know what I’d do without you. What I’d be without you.” The words tumbled out of him, raw and unbidden from some dark corner of his chest.

 

“Shiro,” Keith said, “Shiro, what?”

 

The confusion in Keith’s voice as slender arms wrapped around him was enough to derail Shiro.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t deserve you, I’ve never deserved you,” Keith said, volume rising. “Especially not after—”

 

Keith didn’t get to finish whatever he was going to say because Shiro took a chance and kissed him silent.

 

Keith was shell shocked. The only thing he could manage to say when Shiro pulled back was, “What?”  


Shiro was certain that he’d made a terrible, terrible mistake. “I’m sorry,” he said, panicked, and started to pull away.

 

“Takashi,” Keith said, and Shiro’s chest imploded as lips crashed against his, desperate and seeking.

 

Keith was almost all the way in his lap before either of them remembered to breathe. Shiro tugged on Keith’s hips until the slender man was settled comfortably on his lap and their foreheads rested together.

 

“You’re not allowed to feel guilty about disappearing, Shiro,” Keith murmured.

 

Shiro snorted, “Then you’re not allowed to feel guilty about any of what happened with the clone.” He could feel Keith considering this, turning it over and over in his mind.

 

Finally, “Okay. It might take time, but I’ll try if you will.”

 

Shiro could live with that. “Together?”

 

“Together,” Keith agreed, his heart in his throat.

 

Shiro didn’t realize he’d started crying until Keith gently brushed a tear away with his thumb, purple eyes glistening with moisture. All the strength that he’d held onto for so long was crumbling into dust. But Keith… Keith anchored him. Gentle hands pulled him down on the bed so that they were lying side by side. Keith wriggled close and Shiro clung to him, pressing adoring lips to Keith’s forehead as their legs tangled together, touching at every possible intersection.

 

Keith hummed contentedly and nestled his face into Shiro’s neck. “Takashi?” he murmured.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

Several quiet moments passed before Keith breathed, “I love you.”

 

There was no point in holding back what he’d always known. If they were going to lay their souls bare to each other, then Keith was going to do it with no holds barred.

 

Shiro would have never imagined that three words had the power to wreck him so thoroughly.

 

“I love you too,” Shiro answered, throat rasping from the emotions that threatened to swallow him whole.

 

Keith pressed a kiss to his neck, and Shiro could feel the smile against his skin.

 

“I love you, Keith,” Shiro repeated softly, awed.

 

He held on to Keith as tightly as he dared, and Keith held him tightly in return, whispering Shiro’s name over and over with a reverence that made Shiro’s head spin. They were pressed close enough that he could feel Keith’s heart thrumming, and the way it slowed into a steady rhythm as Keith drifted off in his arms. Shiro traced shapes on Keith’s muscled back, letting his emotions settle until they were gentle ripples instead of waves crashing on the shore.

 

It would take time for both of them to heal, Shiro knew that. He might not feel like he entirely deserved to hold this precious being in his arms, but as long as this was what Keith wanted, Shiro would be happy to oblige. Despite the doubt and guilt that had been eating away at him, Shiro knew that Keith meant what he said. Keith was the most reliable thing in Shiro’s entire life. Shiro loved him everything he had to give, scars and all.

 

***

 

“The Olkari said they can’t do anything for Kuron,” Pidge told Keith, her face pinched into a frown. “The spell is tied to Haggar, either we have to kill her, or she has to willingly release him.”

 

Keith grimaced, and his stomach sank as he surveyed her face. “That’s not all, is it?” he said warily.

 

Pidge sighed. “No… Kuron is also, how do I say this…? Gone.”

 

“What do you mean, gone?” Keith gritted out.

 

Pidge wasn’t any happier about this than he was. “It’s not like they treated him like a prisoner, Keith. Most of the time he was a normal person, so they let him roam freely, and the other day he just vanished.

 

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s going to come back to bite us later. He’s still under Haggar’s control.”

 

“I know,” Pidge said grimly. “I’ll get word out to our contacts that we can trust to keep an eye out for him. What are you going to tell Shiro?”

 

“I don’t know, that his potentially dangerous clone is running free in the galaxy?” Keith snapped.

 

Pidge lightly tapped his shoulder in reprimand.

 

“Sorry,” he sighed, letting out a breath.

 

“You’re worried about how he’ll take it?” Pidge surmised.

 

“How would you feel if a clone took over your life and lied to all your friends?” Keith answered.

 

“Point taken,” Pidge mumbled. “I can tell him, if you don’t want to?”

 

Keith shook his head. “No, I’ll do it, don’t worry about it Pidge.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

***

 

Keith found Shiro in Black’s hangar, sitting quietly on the floor with his back straight and hands resting on his knees. Quietly Keith sat down beside him and waited for Shiro to be done with his meditation.

 

When Shiro finally looked over, Keith gritted his teeth and said, “The clone, Kuron, has gone missing.” 

 

Shiro made a funny noise somewhere along the lines of ‘hunh.’

 

Keith leaned his shoulder into Shiro’s. “We’ll find him. He’s harmless most of the time, except for those times where Haggar, ah, mind controls him.”

 

Shiro’s eyebrows rose at that, but he nodded. The idea that someone was running around with his face shook him to his core, however, his trust in Keith was stronger. His gaze flickered up to Black and Keith looked as well, purple eyes nearly black in the low light.

 

“Black has grown fond of you,” Shiro said, and the smile in his voice lit up Keith’s entire being.

 

“Yeah, the feeling is mutual,” Keith agreed, but his eyes strayed in the direction of Red’s hangar. He could feel her pulling, calling him back, but Keith couldn’t make himself move.

 

“I can’t do that to Lance,” he whispered to her. Red’s whine was a deep cut, and it sent a pang through his chest. He missed her too, but this was how it had to be.

 

“We could always co-pilot Black,” Shiro suggested quietly. “At least until we figure things out.”

 

Co-pilot? Fly together? Those were two things that Keith had been dreaming of for a very long time. From the moment Shiro had first hovered over him, teaching him how to work the Garrison simulator, Keith knew he wanted to fly with Shiro. His feelings for Shiro then were not the same as they were now, but the thought still sent his heart racing.

 

“Can we? Is that a thing?” Keith rushed the words, hardly daring to breathe. It wasn’t as good as being back at Red’s controls, but he’d built a bond with Black as well, and they understood each other.

 

Black’s indignation washed over both of them. If Black said it was so, then it was. Keith had no idea how the logistics would work, and that was okay. They’d figure it out. Beaming, he leaned over and pressed a sweet kiss on Shiro’s cheek.

 

“I’ve been waiting a very long time to be your co-pilot,” Keith said, eyes dancing.

 

Shiro draped an arm over Keith’s shoulders and drew him close. “Have you been waiting a long time to be my boyfriend as well?”

 

“You have no idea,” Keith said, lips pulling at the corners but deadly serious.

 

Shiro smiled crookedly, “Actually, I think I do.” He leaned in and captured Keith’s lips, chuckling into the kiss as Keith curved enthusiastically against him. Keith’s tongue brushed his lips and suddenly Shiro was the one moving eagerly, chasing the thrill of warmth that trickled down his spine. Black stood above, content to watch over its paladins.

 

***

 

“What do you mean, Lotor isn’t here?” Keith said, frustration creeping into his tone. “We agreed on this meeting time.”

 

Shiro’s hand rested soothingly on his waist, grounding Keith even as Lance had several conniptions over it.

 

“I mean, it’s unlike Lotor to skimp out on things like this,” Pidge said fairly. “He probably has a good reason for it?”

 

Lance was mostly better about accepting Lotor’s presence these days, but give him an opening like that… Hunk clapped a hand over Lance’s mouth before he could get a peep out. Lance squirmed against Hunk’s gentle but unyielding grip for a moment before sagging in defeat. He settled for scowling, his face mostly obscured by Hunk’s massive hand, and only his eyes and brows visible.

 

Pidge had to cover her own mouth to stifle the giggles that bubbled up out of her chest. Shiro cleared his throat, and attention returned immediately to the matter at hand.

 

“Allura?” Shiro prompted, since it seemed that out of all of them, she talked to Lotor the most.

 

“I don’t know why he isn’t here,” Allura admitted, shaking her head. “He sent a message that he was going to check in on something with his former generals, but that shouldn’t have kept him this long.”

 

Keith crossed his arms over his chest. “The same former generals that tried to turn him in?”

 

“And the same ones that Kuron, Matt, and I had to fight to get Dad back?” Pidge added.

 

Allura shrugged helplessly. “I advised him against going, but he was dead set on it. Lotor can take care of himself.”

 

“Fair, but we need him here, so we can iron out details for how we’re going to eliminate Haggar,” Shiro said reasonably.

 

“Lotor and I have to handle Haggar,” Allura murmured. “That much has become clear. We’ve determined that the quintessence energy that she uses is similar to that which emitted off of Zarkon. It’s… the best word I can use to describe it is corrupted.”

 

“Corrupted?” Keith asked. His experience with quintessence was limited, and he’d mostly kept out of the way when Allura and Lotor got into their alchemy stuff.

 

“Yes, it’s like the quintessence has become poisonous, and has a life of its own,” Allura confirmed, expression darkening.

 

“So what you’re saying is… Haggar is kind of possessed by evil quintessence?” Hunk ventured. He looked none too thrilled by the prospect.

 

“That is my theory, yes,” Allura said quietly. “Lotor is less fond of that idea, because it would mean that Haggar is in fact his mother, Honevera.”

 

This was news to Shiro, who flicked a questioning glance at Keith. Keith shrugged. He’d discussed it only briefly with Allura, and until now, it hadn’t been relevant.

 

“Is taking out Haggar going to be a problem for Lotor is she is in fact Honerva?” Shiro asked.

 

Keith hummed thoughtfully under his breath and Allura looked tired.

 

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “He hates Haggar but adores Honerva. Which will win out? He’s the only one who can know that I’m afraid.”

 

Shiro was decidedly unhappy with this uncertainty. Haggar was the only thing standing in between him and a much less perilous future. A future he wanted with Keith after she’d stolen so much time from them already. The next breath he took was sharp, hissing through his teeth like a punctured balloon.

 

Keith eased a step back so that his shoulders pressed lightly against Shiro’s chest and twined their fingers together. Shiro exhaled and let the warmth that leaked through Keith’s favorite jacket comfort him. They would have their future, and they would fight for it.

 

On the far wall, Krolia watched silently, a pleased smile stealing across her lips. She, like Coran, had little to lend to this discussion, but every moment spent in the presence of her son was something she would cherish.

 

“We’ll talk about this whenever Lotor gets back,” Keith said. “There’s no point in rushing into this, we’re going to do it right the first time.”

 

Lance licked Hunk’s hand until Hunk yelped and let him go, whining as he wiped the slobber off on Lance’s back.

 

“Keith not rushing into things? And leading? I think I might be dreaming,” Lance teased.

 

Keith flicked a rude gesture Lance’s way that made Shiro snort. “Anyway, Shiro and I have an announcement.”  


“You’re dating?” Hunk asked.

 

“You’re conceding that I’m the better swordsmen?” was Lance.

 

“You finally acknowledged the emotions that the rest of us have been secondhandedly suffering from?” Pidge chimed in.

 

“Shiro has accepted my cooking?” asked Coran excitedly.

 

Keith blinked slowly. “Yes, not a snowball’s chance in hell, and rude Pidge.”

 

“Absolutely not. No more paladin lunches,” Shiro put in, and Coran pouted.

 

“I’m not sure why you had to guess and couldn’t just let me tell you that Shiro and I are going to co-pilot the Black lion,” Keith grumbled.

 

“Because that’s no fun,” Pidge complained.

 

Allura’s eyebrows were almost to her hairline. “Is that possible?”

 

Keith tried not to smirk as Black’s roar resounded through the castle to answer her question. “Black says it is. I would not advise arguing it.”

 

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Allura agreed with a small smile.

 

“We’re just going to move on from the fact that Keith and Shiro are dating like it’s no big deal?” Lance squawked.

 

Several sets of raised eyebrows settled on him. Krolia’s were particularly impressive because she managed to look both skeptical and threatening at the same time.

 

Lance grumbled. “Fine. Have it your way.”

 

Shiro dropped a kiss on the top of Keith’s head with a grin. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ao3 could ya pick a consistent spacing holy crap. ANYWAY, soft soft boys! Finally!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura makes difficult choices and Keith and Shiro learn to co-pilot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FRIDAY YA'LL! Have some of my fave children being cute <3

“Allura?” Lance said, breaking her thoughtful trance.

 

“Mmmm?” she responded, still staring off into the space that stretched out in front of her. She was at the castle’s controls, hands placed lightly as she guided it without even needing to focus her whole attention on it.

 

Lance moved to stand beside her, their sides brushing gently. “What are you brooding about this time?” he asked. His tone was light, teasing even, but Allura still caught the undercurrent of concern.

 

“Many things, as per usual,” she answered with a small, humorless laugh.

 

Lance arched an eyebrow and waited.

 

Allura stared into deep blue eyes until the intensity had her directing her gaze elsewhere. “I’m worried about Haggar, but also… I think it is nearly time for me to step down as a paladin.”  


Lance blinked, stunned. “But you’re great in Blue,” he protested. “And you’re great at being a paladin.”

 

Allura smiled slightly. “Thank you, Lance. That means a lot to me. Blue misses you though, in the same way I’m sure Red yearns for Keith, or how Black desperately wanted Shiro back. My place with Blue and yours with Red were only temporary solutions.”

 

“But you love being a paladin,” Lance said softly. He knew though, and he understood. He liked Red, and Red liked him, but it wasn’t and never would be the same as flying Blue.

 

“I need to fill a different role now, Lance. Lotor may be emperor, but I lead the coalition and if we defeat Haggar, I’m going to have a lot of work to do. I can’t be a part of Voltron and also attend meetings across the galaxy. It wouldn’t be fair to Blue or to the team,” Allura said regretfully.

 

Lance lifted his arm wordlessly and Allura tucked herself into his side, head nestling against his shoulder.

 

“You know, Shiro and Keith seemed pretty enthusiastic about co-piloting. How are you going to break that to them?” Lance asked.

 

Allura let out a breath. “Well, we won’t transition immediately. I think Keith needs to keep his eyes on Shiro for a while. But I might need him in Red when we take on Haggar.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to Keith.”

 

“It’s a good thing you’ve been doing a lot of that lately, huh?” Lance chuckled.

 

Allura pinched his side, and Lance squirmed, giggling. “Oh, you have a weakness?” Allura said mischievously.

 

“No, absolutely not. Nope. Not me,” Lance said, trying to ward off her seeking fingers.

 

Allura waggled her brows at him and Lance wriggled free.

 

“You’ll never take me alive,” he yelled and took off down a hallway with Allura hot on his heels.

 

***

 

Shiro awoke to the sensation of Keith’s careful fingers in his hair and mapping out the planes of his torso. His eyes remained closed, but he gave an appreciative hum, relaxed and cozy curled up next to Keith.

 

The fingers in his hair stilled. “Sorry if I woke you,” Keith murmured.

 

Shiro’s only response was to tug Keith close and bury his nose into the crook of Keith’s neck. Keith chuckled, winding his arms around Shiro’s torso and holding him tight. Lips brushed Shiro’s forehead and he could see it now: a future. A future where after the war, he got mornings like this with Keith every day. Lazy and warm, with morning kisses and sleep ruffled hair. Keith’s half-lidded eyes watching him with the kind of love that Shiro had never dreamed of ever having directed toward himself.

 

“We have to get up, don’t we,” Shiro mumbled into Keith’s neck.

 

Keith sighed, “Unfortunately. There’s things we need to do yet. Lotor should be back, and then we can take the final step and take out Haggar. End this war, once and for all.”

 

Shiro whined and snuck a trail of kisses up Keith’s neck and along his jaw. It sent shockwaves through him that he was allowed this, that he could shower Keith with affection and touches and _love_. And Keith… Keith returned it. Goddamn was Shiro so very lucky. Shiro supposed that it wouldn’t be too much hardship to get up and fight for the future that danced on the backs of his eyelids.

 

He placed a final kiss onto the tip of Keith’s nose and then rolled out of bed in one smooth, practiced motion. Keith whined in protest, but Shiro was already on his feet, searching for his casual clothes. A beat later and Keith was up too, exchanging his sleep shirt for one that he didn’t mind getting dirty. Shiro said nothing about it, but he recognized Keith’s favorite shirt to sleep in as one of his own that must have gotten nabbed at some point. It was too big on Keith in an endearing way, and the image lingered in Shiro’s mind long after they made it up to the main deck.

 

Lotor was finally back, looking exhausted and sporting a long cut down his cheek. Allura fretted and Lance for once looked concerned.

 

Keith strode in with Shiro on his heels, gaze assessing and just the slightest bit sharp.

 

“Meeting with your former generals didn’t go as planned?” Keith said flatly.

 

Lotor’s expression was heavy and his brows drew together. “No. They were understandably bitter about Narti, and unwilling to listen.”

 

“Narti? Who is Narti?” Pidge asked, head tilted to give her a better view of Lotor’s face. It was an unfortunate life, having to look up at everyone.

 

“She was one of my generals, but Haggar started controlling her and I was forced to kill her,” Lotor said, remorse coloring his words.

 

Lance’s mouth pressed into an unhappy line, but he said nothing.

 

“Is there no other way to free people from her control?” Keith asked. Kuron was still on his mind. He’d promised they’d do their best to help him, and so far they’d not been doing well at it.

 

“No,” Lotor answered, his hair swishing softly as he shook his head. “At least not that I know of. It’s kill them or kill her.”

 

Allura’s eyes slid closed. “I’d prefer we didn’t have to kill her. It’s not a good way to begin a new age.”

 

“Allura, I don’t believe we have a choice in that,” Lotor said, apologetic but firm. “She’s incredibly dangerous, and she won’t hesitate to kill _us_.”

 

Keith and Shiro exchanged grim looks.

 

“What is the best way to take her out, then?” Shiro asked. His jaw was set, and his decision clear.

 

Lotor absently tugged on a long strand of his hair. “We need to do some reconnaissance first. Under no circumstances can we allow her to catch us off guard. With that in mind, I think that distracting her with Voltron while I sneak in the from the side and go directly for Haggar is the approach we should go with.”

 

Allura said “Absolutely not!” at the same time as Lance said, “That’s a suicide mission.”

 

Hunk glanced between them, eyebrows raised. Lotor scowled.

 

“I’m going, Allura,” Lotor said stubbornly. “I am the emperor, it is my responsibility.”

 

“You can’t do it without my magic,” Allura shot back.

 

Coran looked appalled at the idea of Allura going after Haggar, but Krolia gently nudged him to keep silent.

 

“If you go with Lotor, who will fly Blue?” Pidge asked, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

 

Lance clamped his mouth shut.

 

Allura shifted her gaze so that it fell far from Pidge’s intense brown eyes. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Reconnaissance first, and then we can finalize that detail.”

 

Pidge squinted suspiciously, but Lance poked her until she relented. “Fine. I’ll see if I can make up anything useful. Hunk, want to help?”

 

Hunk nodded, “Yeah, for a bit anyway. There’s a recipe I want to try later.”

 

“Shiro and I will get a start on checking things out, we need to figure out how to co-pilot anyhow,” Keith said. Shiro’s hand settled on his shoulder and squeezed.

 

Allura sighed. “Alright then. I’ll do what I can to prepare for Haggar.”

 

***

 

“So uh, how do you think this works?” Shiro asked Keith as they stood on either side of the pilot’s seat in Black’s cabin.

 

The impression that Black was giving off was that of wicked amusement.

 

Keith’s brows furrowed in thought. “I could sit on your lap,” he suggested, looking up at Shiro with innocence that Shiro didn’t believe for a second.

 

Shiro coughed, “Nope.” There was no way he could focus with Keith perched there, pressed up against him.

 

Keith lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Then one of us has to stand.”

 

Shiro hesitated, his fingers longing for Black’s controls. He didn’t want to displace Keith though, because Keith loved to fly even more than he did. Keith passed behind the chair, lifting a hand to graze along Shiro’s shoulder.

 

“Fly, Takashi,” he whispered.

 

A chill rippled down Shiro’s spine but he obeyed, sinking into the chair. It was a homecoming in itself as he laid his hands on the controls. Keith stood at his right shoulder, arms crossed but grin wide as they shot out of the hangar.

 

Black’s elation trilled through them both as Shiro put them through the paces. At one point they rolled and Shiro threw his arm out to grab Keith and keep him from falling over.

 

“Did you just soccer mom me?” Keith asked, laughter ringing out in his voice.

 

Shiro thought it was beautiful, and he blushed. “I uh… yeah I guess.”

 

Keith threw his head back and laughed in earnest, his shoulders shaking as he tried to get it under control. Shiro joined him, chuckling quietly. Every time Keith managed to stop, one glance at Shiro had him in tears all over again. Black radiated contentedness, and it made it far too easy to be lighthearted in the face of what they had to do.

 

“Where is the cloaking button that Pidge installed on here?” Shiro asked, frowning at the dashboard.

 

“Here,” Keith said, leaning past him and pressing the button.

 

Shiro couldn’t help it, he snuck a quick peck onto Keith’s cheek before Keith straightened up. Keith arched an eyebrow to try and hide his blush, but the pleased gleam in his eyes said it all.

 

They took their time doing surveillance, with Keith alert and watching. He kept them from getting in trouble a couple times, which Shiro appreciated immensely. The silence that settled between them was companionable, and Shiro basked in the easy warmth of Keith’s presence.

 

By the time they had an accurate count on the ships at Haggar’s disposal, the rest of the team was waiting for them, lions casually drifting.

 

“What took you so long?” Lance complained. “Coran got worried.”

 

“ _I_ got worried,” Hunk added.

 

“We’re fine, we were just being thorough,” Shiro reassured them.

 

Keith snorted into his comm. “Worry warts.”

 

“One half of your love fest has bad luck with disappearing, so excuse us for being concerned,” Lance retorted.

 

Keith shut his mouth.

 

“Did you get anything helpful?” Allura asked, steering the conversation out of dangerous waters.

 

“Yes,” Shiro said gratefully. “Keith has the tallies all done up. We can look at them when we get back to the castle, I think Keith even has their formation roughly mapped.”

 

“ _Thank you_ ,” Pidge grumbled. “Finally something to work with.”

 

“Are you being ungrateful about my help, Pidge?” Lance asked, teasingly veering Red sharply toward Green so that Pidge had to bank hard.

 

“Hey!” she complained, yanking on her controls to chase after him.

 

Hunk tried to interfere, but Allura was already spinning off as well, laughing as she forced Lance to make a sharp turn of his own.

 

“Oh, it’s on!” Lance yelled, and Keith stared as the team descended into playful chaos.

 

“Hey Keith,” Shiro said, grinning. “How about we show them who’s boss.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Keith said. “Let’s go already.”

 

Black rocketed forward, moving with more speed than Keith had ever managed flying with it. The lion’s movements were smoother, easier than he recalled. Shiro voiced similar thoughts as they swept in and sent the other lions scattering.

 

“I think it’s the combination of your quintessences,” Allura said, breathless as she and Blue rolled neatly out of Hunk’s way. “The Black lion requires the most energy to fly, but with the two of you working in tandem, power is not an issue.”

 

“Huh,” Keith said, stretching so that he could lay his hand over Shiro’s on the controls. “That’s pretty neat.”

 

“Keep it PG over there,” Lance scolded them.

 

Keith rolled his eyes and Shiro sent them chasing after Red and Lance yelped before getting far out of their range. Black was faster now, but Red was still the fastest.

 

The paladins were tired but happy when they finally returned to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some Alluralance because they're such an interesting foil for Sheith that I can't help but throw them in there, and of course the paladins playing together :') We're getting into the home stretch of this thing!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt returns and the team dynamic shifts again.

The paladins took several quintaints to gather information and fine tune their plan. Lotor was insistent that everything be mapped out to the finest detail, despite Keith informing him that no matter how detailed the plan, it was bound to go wrong anyway. Allura had to make Lotor take a walk after that conversation.

 

Keith and Shiro adjusted to co-piloting, though switching between who was piloting meant that someone was always yearning to be the one at the controls. They managed, and Keith relished every single moment he got to spend with Shiro. Keith couldn’t help but feel like the other shoe had yet to drop, as if the rhythm they’d settled into wasn’t meant to last forever.

 

Matt’s arrival at the castle ship temporarily put the thought in the back of his mind. It was the first time Matt had stopped by since Shiro’s return, as the rebels kept him constantly on the move. The moment Matt set eyes on Shiro, he took a running leap. Keith side-stepped quickly out of Matt’s wayward trajectory, uninterested in getting slammed into.

 

“C’mere you _idiot,”_ Matt growled, as Shiro caught him in a hug, chest shaking with watery laughter.

 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Shiro mumbled. “Pidge was so determined to find you, but I was afraid. I’m glad Sam is okay too.”

 

“Says the one that has been missing this whole damn time in some whacked out space dimension,” Matt grumped, stepping back so that he could survey Shiro. “You’re going to age me before my time, Shirogane.”

 

“I’m sure, grandpa,” Shiro teased, a wide grin stretching across his face. “Would you like me to get you a cane?”

 

Matt glared at Shiro, “Ha ha, very funny.”

 

“No need, he already has his Gandalf staff,” Keith said, arching a brow.

 

Shiro burst out laughing, “His what?”

 

Matt crossed his arms over his chest. “I like to fight with a staff. Sue me, Mr. I fight with my glowing purple arm.”

 

Keith smirked, and had to wriggle out of Shiro’s grasp as Shiro tried to pinch his side.

 

“You know, maybe I don’t miss the pair of you ganging up on me,” Shiro whined playfully.

 

He had missed them together though. Despite Shiro’s golden boy status and hoard of admiring fans, he’d never truly felt like he belonged with the other Garrison students. He was a fraud, hiding his true self for fear that he might disappoint them. Matt was the first to see through the façade to the quiet but funny young man underneath. Once Matt latched on, he became a permanent fixture at Shiro’s side. Keith’s arrival at the Garrison turned a duo into a comfortable trio, and he understood parts of Shiro that even Matt hadn’t been able to. Shiro missed the three of them being together very dearly.

 

Matt dragged Shiro into another hug, pulling Keith in by the arm before he could escape. Keith tucked himself under Shiro’s arm, and there was no way Matt could miss the way Shiro pressed a kiss to the top of Keith’s head.

 

“Did you finally stop circling each other?” Matt asked innocently.

 

The reaction was instantaneous. Both Keith and Shiro shot backwards, leaving Matt wobbling. Keith’s cheeks were burning and the tips of Shiro’s ears were pink. Matt rolled his eyes.

 

“What, you think I didn’t notice?” Matt said. “Oh please.”

 

Keith scowled and Matt reached over to poke him. “Don’t you make that face at me Kogane, I put up with your mooning for far too long.”

 

Shiro let out a sigh of resignation and pulled Keith close. Keith settled in the circle of his arms, still scowling at an unimpressed Matt.

 

“Seriously though, I’m happy for you guys,” Matt said quietly. The earnestness of his tone was enough to wipe the scowl off of Keith’s face. “No one deserves happiness more than you two.”

 

“Thank you, Matt,” Shiro said, smiling lopsidedly.

 

“I’m sure you two have catching up to do, I’m going to go check on the rest of the team,” Keith said, wriggling free. He snuck a kiss on Shiro’s cheek and allowed Matt a half-hug before disappearing.

 

“Too much emotional stuff?” Matt commented wryly.

 

Shiro huffed. “It’s been a lot. Especially with Krolia around, I’ve seen more public displays of emotion from him this week than during all of our time at the Garrison.”

 

“He grew up, and he healed,” Matt mused.

 

“We all grew up, and far too fast,” Shiro murmured. “And I think there’s still a lot of healing yet to come.”

 

“You’re not wrong,” Matt agreed. “In the meantime, we can catch each other up.”

 

***

 

The other shoe dropped.

 

“Keith,” Allura called as he passed by the lounge.

 

He paused before backtracking to where she stood in the doorway, nervously wringing her hands. “Yeah?” he asked warily.

 

“Can I talk to you?” she asked, eyes wide and earnest.

 

“Um, yeah I guess,” Keith allowed, unconsciously crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Allura stepped out into the hallway. “Let’s walk,” she said, and Keith let her take the lead.

 

They walked in silence until Keith realized that they were heading toward the hangars.

 

“Whatever it is, Allura, you can just say it,” Keith said gently.

 

Allura fixed her eyes on where she was walking. It wasn’t that she was necessarily worried about Keith’s reaction. This was her, holding onto her role as a paladin with her fingertips. She took a breath.

  
“I am going to step down as a paladin, Keith. It is time for you to return to the Red lion,” she said, and felt a small tinge of pride that she was able to keep her voice even.

 

Keith came to a stop as they reached the hangar, and a light hand on her elbow prompted Allura to look up. The Keith who studied her now was different than the one she’d first met. He still looked ready to leap into battle at any moment, but he was steadier now. The purple mark that curved from his cheek down to his collarbone was striking, but Allura felt it suited him. Happiness suited him. His relationship with Shiro, his friendship with the paladins, and the slow growth of something with Krolia helped fill him out. Keith, it seemed, was well on his way to becoming the person he was meant to be.

 

When he said nothing for too long, Allura elaborated. It felt like all the lions were watching and waiting.

 

“It’s time, Keith. As much as I love it, it was only meant to be temporary. Blue yearns for Lance in the same way Red yearns for you, and I need to be a diplomat,” Allura rushed before regret could turn her words bitter.

 

She loved being a paladin, loved the way it felt when she worked in tandem with Blue, and with the team. Giving it up hurt, but she knew it was the right decision.

 

“Allura,” Keith said, surprisingly firm. “I know that the universe is really going to need you as a diplomatic figure once Haggar is out of the way, but you’ll always be a paladin of Voltron. Blue will not forget you.”

 

He paused for a long moment, eyes distant as a wry smile played across his lips. “I have a feeling that there will be times where you will be needed in Blue.”

 

Allura tried for a smile, and if it fell a little flat, Keith didn’t call her out on it. He was right, this wasn’t goodbye to Blue forever.

 

“Thank you, Keith. That helps,” she said softly.

 

Keith hummed. “You already talked to Lance? I’m guessing this is what you meant when you said we’re figure something out with the lions.”

 

She nodded. “Lance is okay with it. He misses Blue, you know he does.”

 

Keith scrunched his nose up. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I’m going to miss co-piloting with Shiro, but we both itch to be at the controls.”

 

Allura smiled. “You might co-pilot with him again in the future,” she said, echoing his earlier sentiment.

 

Keith huffed a laugh. “You’re probably right. I’ll go talk to Shiro and finalize the plans now that we have a solution to the lion issue. I might need some time with Red later, and Lance with Blue. You’ll let Lance know?”

 

Allura arched a brow at the presumption, but it wasn’t unfounded. She’d grown close to Lance. Keith flashed her a quick, mischievous grin and strode off.

 

***

 

Lance found Allura in Blue’s hangar, staring thoughtfully up at the lion.

 

“When did Keith get to be so wise?” Allura asked absently.

 

“Keith, wise?” Lance scoffed, swaying when Allura playfully shoved him but he stayed upright.

 

Since when did he have the muscle for that? Allura filed her curiosity away for later.

 

“He’s… steadier now,” Allura said with a shrug. She didn’t have the words to describe the changes she saw in Keith, or in any of the paladins really. War made people grow up fast.

 

“That is true,” Lance agreed, tilting his head back so that he could observe Blue. “How did he take the switch back?”

 

“I think he’s secretly happy to be back in Red,” Allura admitted quietly. “They always had the strongest bond, even from the beginning.”

 

Lance exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I guess they did.”

 

Allura sidled closer to him, easing into the steady warmth that seemed to radiate off him.

 

“Red thinks highly of you, Lance. You worked well together,” she said gently.

 

“We did alright,” Lance said, mustering a smile.

 

 Allura slipped her arms around Lance’s waist and hauled him close. “You know what Keith told me? This isn’t goodbye forever. There might still be times where we have to mix things up,” she said, a smile pulling at her lips as his arm settled around her shoulders.

 

“You could always fly with me in Blue, the way Keith and Shiro have been doing with Black,” Lance said, his eyes lighting up.

 

Allura chuckled and tightened her arms around him in a gentle squeeze. “I’d like that.”

 

“Hmm,” Lance hummed, smiling at last. “You know, I’m still glad it was you. I’m glad that we both share that bond with Blue.”

 

“Me too, Lance. Me too,” Allura murmured.

 

***

 

Shiro found Keith dozing curled up against Red’s front paw in a way that made his own neck ache in sympathy. Keith had filled him in on the shift back to their original lions earlier, but then he disappeared. When Shiro checked in with Allura, she told him that Lance and Keith were spending bonding time down in the hangar with their lions. As much as Shiro wanted Keith by his side in Black, Keith was meant to rocket through the skies at speeds only Red could reach. He crouched down next to Keith, running his fingers through dark hair before brushing them across the deep purple mark.

 

“Keith, let’s go to bed,” Shiro said quietly.

 

Keith stirred, and Shiro rocked back on his heels. Sleepy purple eyes, a few shades deeper than the mark, blinked up at him. An incoherent groan burbled out of Keith as he peeled himself off of Red’s foot. Shiro pushed to his feet and helped Keith clamber up as well.

 

“I know, I know,” Keith grumbled.

 

Shiro was unsure whether the sentiment was directed at himself, or at Red. Probably both.

 

“C’mon sleepyhead, a real bed will be much more comfortable,” Shiro said, pressing his lips to Keith’s mussed hair.

 

Keith hummed happily and leaned into the contact as they wandered down to his room. Shiro was fairly certain that Keith’s eyes never opened fully, but somehow he managed to change and get into bed. Shiro climbed in after him and was instantaneously tangled up in Keith’s thin but strong limbs. The moment Keith’s head settled on Shiro’s chest, he was out cold. Shiro laid awake for a while, just listening to Keith’s breathing and the quiet thrum of his heart.

 

When Shiro woke up hours later, thrashing his way out of a nightmare, Keith was awake instantly. Gentle hands carded through Shiro’s hair and smoothed over the planes of his clenched jaw.

 

“Takashi,” Keith whispered. “You are safe. You are safe with me.”

 

Shiro turned his face into Keith’s palm as the remnants of the nightmare shuddered through him. Keith started talking quietly, and when Shiro was finally able to comprehend the words, they lit a spark in his chest. Keith recited constellations and their patterns, the lyrics to Shiro’s favorite song and then those of his own. He recounted Garrison stories and some of Matt’s greatest mischiefs, and Shiro could breathe again.

 

The timbre of Keith’s voice was a balm on Shiro’s tattered soul. It smoothed the rough edges and held them in the most tender of embraces.

 

“Keith,” Shiro breathed, and attentive eyes met his. “Thank you.”

 

Keith huffed, placing a kiss on Shiro’s forehead, then the tip of his nose, and finished with a chaste peck on his lips. “We heal together,” Keith said, and it was a reminder.

 

“I love you,” Shiro said, and thought that three small words could not possibly capture the magnitude of his feelings. They were a pressure in his chest, near bursting as Keith smiled, small and crooked.

 

“I love you too,” Keith answered, and let Shiro tug him down into an embrace that turned into several long, slow kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matt, Shiro, and Keith are the OG Garrison trio and I will take that to my grave. Have some more softness on this Monday <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins face down Haggar for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, finally at the point where I can confidently say that this thing will finish at 17 chapters. Chapter 17 will be the softest, fluffiest shenanigans ever of course (it'll go up at the beginning of my last finals week of undergrad, efffff). Thanks for sticking with me on this, you guys are awesome <3

“Keith?” Krolia said, approaching him as the paladins prepared to head down to the hangar. This was it, the last push. Once Haggar was gone, the universe could finally move forward.

 

“Yeah?” Keith turned toward her, mouth curved down into a concerned frown.

 

“Be careful, please,” she said quietly.

 

There was a long moment where he studied her, and then he reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll do my best, Mom,” he promised, and strode off.

 

Krolia watched as he fell into step with Shiro as easy as breathing. She needed them both to come back safe. Or really, all of the paladins. She’d grown fond of all of them, and their interesting little quirks. They reminded her of why she’d fallen in love with a human in the first place, and there was a place now for them in her guarded heart.

 

***

 

In the hangar, the team ran through the plan one last time.

 

“Are you sure you and Lotor can get in from the side in Sincline?” Keith asked, his nervous energy displayed in the way his fingers tapped against the armor on his arm.

 

Allura looked to Lotor, who nodded. “I may not be quite your caliber of pilot, paladin, but I am not too shabby either,” Lotor said calmly.

 

Shiro hid a grin as Keith huffed.

 

“Then we’re set,” Lance said shortly. “Allura, can I talk to you for a tick?”

 

Allura looked puzzled but nodded her assent, and they peeled off from the group. Shiro took the opportunity to sneak Keith a kiss. Keith obliged for a long moment before he pulled back, capturing Shiro’s face with his palms. His gaze, half-lidded and serious, sent a pang through Shiro’s chest.

 

“No matter what happens, I’m not letting you get away from me again,” Keith said harshly, teeth clenched.

 

Shiro drew him close, setting his chin atop Keith’s head as Keith leaned into him. “I won’t let us be separated again,” he promised, struggling to hold down the emotion that threatened to close his throat up.

 

Keith exhaled shakily. “I love you, Takashi.”

 

“I love you too, Keith,” Shiro murmured.

 

Across the room, Lance drew a breath. “Promise me you’ll be careful?”

 

Allura blinked, “Of course I’ll do my best Lance, but I’m going to fight Haggar. Nothing about that is really ‘careful.’”

 

Lance’s eyes shuttered. “I know,” he breathed. “Trust me, I know.”

 

Allura frowned and leaned over, placing a swift kiss on Lance’s cheek. His eyes flew open in shock and she held his gaze.

 

“We’re both going to make it out in one piece,” she said firmly. “And then we’re going to talk about _this_.”

 

She gestured between them, but Lance was too dumbstruck to do anything but stare. Allura sighed and gave his hand a squeeze before heading back to the group. Pidge and Hunk, who’d been avidly watching them in order not to intrude on Shiro and Keith’s moment, snickered.

 

“I think you broke him, Allura,” Pidge said gleefully.

 

The tips of Allura’s ears turned a bright shade of red. “Let’s go,” she called, refusing to acknowledge Pidge’s comment. Hunk chuckled, but he and Pidge dispersed, dragging Lance to Blue as they went. Shiro and Keith lingered for one more kiss before leaving for their respective lions.

 

Lotor remained, his lips quirked into an amused expression. “The human, huh?” he teased.

 

Allura turned her nose up at him. “Can we just get this over with?”

 

Lotor shrugged, letting it go. It was time to get serious.

 

***

 

“On your left!” Keith called, dropping Red into a dive as a sentry came at them.

 

Shiro blasted right through the enemy ship and relief made Keith sag against his seat. Red’s enthusiasm over having him back was rather infectious, and Keith let the energy course through his veins.

 

Allura and Lotor had disappeared immediately, using Pidge’s cloaking device to skirt the edge of the battle. Haggar didn’t have that many soldiers left at her disposal, the paladins had whittled them down to a bare minimum. For the moment, Voltron was the decoy, and they were doing a hell of a job being distracting. Lance froze everything he could get a clear shot at, and Pidge was right behind him, covering what remained in vines.

 

“Do you think they’re sufficiently preoccupied?” Hunk asked.

 

Yellow’s head turned upward to where Red and Black hovered, alert for any sentries that might have escaped the initial wave. Keith blasted one that darted out from under the belly of the main battle cruiser, unease pooling in his gut.

 

Allura’s voice crackled through the comms. “Paladins, we could use some backup,” she said, breath ragged as she panted.

 

“We’re coming Allura,” Shiro said tightly and Black shot forward, only to be overtaken by Red. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge dropped in behind, letting Keith lead the way.

 

They found Allura on a massive platform, back to back with Lotor as they fended off an onslaught of attacks.

 

“Lotor’s former generals,” Pidge hissed. “We should have known they’d be guarding Haggar.”

 

“Too late now,” Shiro said calmly. “It’s too close quarters for the lions to be of any help, we’re going to have to finish this on our own two feet.”

 

“I hope you’re feeling confident with that sword of yours,” Keith snarked to Lance, hiding his nerves as the lions set down in a circle at the edges of the platform.

 

“Oh, watch how confident I am,” Lance retorted.

 

Shiro waited for them to be done. “Pidge, Hunk, Lance, take out the generals if you can. Keith and I are going to help Allura take care of Haggar.” There was an edge to his voice that caused Keith’s stomach to drop.

 

Shiro was first on the ground, his Galra arm powering up as Keith darted after him. Haggar was on the far side of the platform from them, but they pushed forward as Lance engaged Axca, and Pidge took on Ezor. Hunk was not pleased to be faced with Zethrid, but he made do. It was enough to let Allura and Lotor slip away and pursue their original target.

 

Keith wanted to go straight for Haggar, but a figure formerly hidden by the shadows lunged for Shiro. Shiro reacted instinctively, Galra arm swinging up only to be met by an identical one. Stunned, Shiro froze as he looked his clone straight in the eye.

 

Keith darted in at the last possible moment, sword coming up to block the hit that would have knocked Shiro off his feet. Kuron sneered at him, nothing like the tired man who’d spoken to Keith not long ago. This was full on possession, and Haggar had nothing to lose.

 

“You won’t touch him,” Keith snarled the challenge, pressing with his blade to force Kuron back several steps, away from Shiro.

 

Beyond them, Allura had her hands up, struggling as her magic battled against Haggar’s. Lotor was beside her, face contorted as he held against the magic Haggar threw at both of them. Shiro watched, frozen in place, as Keith traded blows with the clone. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t seem to make his limbs move. It was one thing, to hear about the person that had pretended to be him. It was another to see him face to face, ravaged by Haggar’s possession. All around him, battle raged. Lance was taunting Ezor, and Allura pleaded with Haggar to simply give in. Neither of those things worked very well.

 

Ezor sent Lance staggering back, sword up to keep her from getting too close. Haggar sneered at Allura and fought back with all the power she had left. All the while her gaze kept flicking to Lotor, as if she was torn in what action she wanted to see through. Lotor’s face was stone, hiding the uncertainty that lurked in his heart.

 

Shiro’s attention honed on Keith, and he realized that Keith had yet to deal a blow with the intention to harm. He was simply defending himself and keeping Kuron busy. It was not a dance he could keep up forever, and when Keith failed to take an opportunity, Kuron slashed him diagonally from shoulder to hip with his Galra hand. Keith staggered back, and the ice in Shiro’s veins shattered.

 

“NO!” the yell ripped out of him, primitive and raw as he ran for Keith.

 

Kuron smiled and caught Keith with one last jab before Shiro reached him. Keith slumped to the ground and Shiro went for Kuron. Unlike Keith, Shiro held nothing back.

 

***

 

Allura had not foreseen this outcome. Lotor’s expression was shattered as he observed the woman kneeling before them. Haggar was spent and her head hung low as Allura gritted her teeth and used her magic to sear away what remained of the contaminant. It fought her, and Allura could feel her strength waning. She had enough for this though, she was certain.

 

“My son,” Haggar rasped, and when she looked up, her face was that of an Altean of considerable age.

 

“Mother,” Lotor said, anguished.

 

Allura was silent. There was no way to give Lotor privacy, all she could do was bear witness.

 

“Thank you for freeing me from the rift creatures,” Haggar, or perhaps Honerva, said. If Allura’s strength was waning, Honerva’s was gone. “I can pass in peace now.”

 

“No!” Lotor gasped, tears slipping down his cheeks. For all his denial, he was forced to face the truth and lose his mother a second time.

 

Allura turned her face away.

 

“It is time,” Honerva murmured, and her eyes closed.

 

Lotor dropped to his knees in time to catch her as she slumped, finally free in death.

 

Allura swayed on her feet, energy gone and nothing left to keep her upright.

 

***

 

Shiro would have killed Kuron had Krolia not intercepted his blow. He didn’t know where she’d come from, and he hadn’t noticed when Kuron’s movements had become purely defensive the moment Haggar died.

 

“He’s no longer possessed,” she hissed, and Shiro stopped abruptly, limbs heavy. “Get Keith to a healing pod.”

 

Shiro turned and panic rushed over him all over again. Keith was still down and the slice across his entire torso had him losing too much blood. He hadn’t moved from where he fell, which Shiro took to be a bad sign. Keith almost never stayed down, it wasn’t in his nature.

 

“No no no, Keith,” Shiro said, scooping up the smaller man in his arms.

 

Keith stirred. “’Kashi?” he slurred, out of it from pain and blood loss.

 

“Hang in there Keith,” Shiro murmured. “I’ve got you.”

 

Black was waiting for them and Red roared her anguish. Shiro was barely into the pilot’s seat, Keith held to his chest, when Black shot toward the castle. Red was right beside them, as always looking out for her paladin. Keith would be okay, he had to be.

 

***

 

As much as Krolia wanted to go flying after Shiro and Keith to the castle, she remained to make sure that the rest of the paladins were okay. Shiro would take care of Keith.

 

Pidge and Hunk were exhausted, but the generals had surrendered. Lance ran off in search of Allura while Krolia helped the others get Axca, Ezor, and Zethrid into the pod Krolia had used to come down. Kuron followed, his shoulders slumped and eyes haunted. The moment Krolia laid eyes on Axca, her heart stopped.

 

“You,” Krolia breathed, and Axca met her gaze, eyes wide and startled.

 

“Mother is dead,” Axca said shortly before Krolia could get another word out.

 

Krolia set her jaw. “I know, but you’re not.” She hadn’t seen Axca since she was a young girl. Her perfect, fierce little niece. They had a lot to catch up on.

 

***

 

“Allura!” Lance exclaimed, dropping to his knees beside her.

 

She was kneeling on the ground where she’d ended up when her legs finally gave out, head bowed. Allura wearily picked up her head at the sound of his voice. “’M okay,” she tried to reassure him.

 

Gentle hands patted her down, checking for injury, and Lance seemed to conclude that she was correct. Allura wasn’t injured, but the magical drain had her running on empty.

 

“C’mon, up you get, Blue and I will take you home,” Lance murmured.

 

Allura wanted to whine but she gritted her teeth as Lance helped her to her feet, slinging her arm around his shoulders. She was fairly certain that he was mostly carrying her, but she was too tired to care.

 

“Lotor,” Lance said softly, and Allura remembered that Lotor was still there, cradling Haggar’s body. “Bring her, we’ll give her a proper funeral.”

 

Lotor didn’t answer, but they started moving toward Blue. Allura barely remembered Lance helping her sit on the floor of Blue’s cockpit before she slipped into a deep sleep.

 

 

***

 

Shiro stood in front of the healing pod and tried not to fret. Keith had passed out again by the time they got him into it, and there was a blood trail through the castle from Shiro carrying him there. Coran had set the pod on a long cycle, worried about internal organs, so there was nothing Shiro could do but wait. Krolia came running in not long after, calming down only when she checked Keith’s vitals on the pod screen. The fear in her eyes made Shiro’s heart ache with empathy.

 

Krolia stood with her palm pressed to the glass for several long moments before she finally came to examine Shiro. The cut on her temple was slowly oozing blood, but it wasn’t as bad as the one on Shiro’s shoulder.

 

She frowned at him, “Come, I’ll patch you up.”

 

Shiro had refused Coran’s care, but he was unable to say no to Krolia. Not with the ferocious maternal light that flickered in her eyes. “If you let me take care of that cut?” he bargained.

 

Krolia made a face but nodded, gathering up some of the medical supplies Coran had left out. It was an unspoken agreement that they didn’t move anywhere where Keith would be out of their line of sight. No more words were spoken between them, and exhaustion took over Shiro as he held still for her practiced care. She helped him out of the top part of his paladin armor, tending his injured shoulder with gentle hands.

 

Krolia’s cut wasn’t nearly as bad, but Shiro cleaned it up anyway and placed a bandage over it. When neither of them was bleeding anymore, Shiro sat down on the floor in front of the pod, his legs too tired to hold him up any longer. Krolia sank down beside him. Together they sat and waited, close enough to offer comfort in the silence.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team recovers and makes plans for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home stretch guys <3

Keith eased out of the pod when the cycle ended, quiet as not to disturb the scene before him. Shiro and Krolia had not moved from their self-appointed posts sitting in front of the pod. Both were asleep, however, with their heads leaned together. Someone, Keith thought probably Pidge, had draped a blanket over them. Keith drew a slow breath, reluctant to disrupt them. They were sleeping so peacefully, the two largest parts of Keith’s heart tucked in together, waiting for him. Unfortunately, Keith didn’t think that was a very comfortable way to sleep.

 

“Shiro,” he murmured, crouching to lay a gentle hand on Shiro’s knee.

 

Gray eyes blinked slowly, then came into focus. “Keith!” Shiro scrambled upward.

 

Thankfully Krolia had stirred enough that when Shiro shot up, she didn’t go tumbling off to the side. Keith was engulfed in Shiro’s arms by the time Krolia got to her feet. She shifted back several steps to wait patiently. As much as Krolia wanted to reassure herself that Keith was fine, she respected Shiro’s need to be reassured of the same thing.

 

“You scared me,” Shiro mumbled, nuzzling his face into Keith’s hair.

 

“Sorry,” Keith said quietly. “I promised you wouldn’t get away from me again though.”

 

Shiro made a distressed noise and Keith pressed closer, soothing by touching Shiro everywhere he could manage. Touch was reassuring for both of them.

 

“You need rest,” Shiro said into Keith’s hair.

 

“I was just in a pod,” Keith complained. “You’re the one who needs to sleep.”

 

“I’ll sleep if you will,” Shiro wheedled, and he had Keith there.

 

Curling up with Shiro sounded like an ideal outcome after the day they’d had. They could deal with the world later.

 

“Okay fine, give me a moment,” Keith said.

 

Shiro freed him so that he could go to Krolia, who immediately wrapped him up in a hug. Keith grunted in surprise, but nuzzled Krolia gently in return as she held him in a death grip.

 

“I won’t leave you,” Keith said, so quiet that Shiro barely caught it.

 

Krolia sucked in a breath like she’d been punched.

 

“Keith…” she whispered.

 

Keith shook his head. “I won’t,” he said firmly. “Not if I can help it.”

 

“Keith, my son…” Krolia said, voice thick as she squeezed him gently. Keith turned his head up in time for Krolia to place a motherly kiss to his forehead. “Go get some sleep.”

 

“Mmkay,” Keith mumbled, and shuffled over into Shiro’s waiting arms. Shiro and Krolia exchanged warm looks over the top of Keith’s head, and then they headed off to bed together.

 

Krolia thought her heart might burst right there on the spot.

 

***

 

When Allura woke in her own room, she could faintly make out Lance’s form, dozing where he sat on the floor with his back against the bed.

 

Pidge and Hunk had gone to their own rooms to sleep, but Coran had fretted until Lance reassured him that he would stay with Allura. She was cold when Lance carried her out of Blue’s cockpit, the lion’s gentle worry draped over them like a blanket. Allura was fine, Lance had to reassure himself over and over. Fine, just drained and exhausted.

 

Lotor, when he’d finally paused in his grieving, had confirmed this. He’d stopped to check on Allura, a purple hand pressed lightly to her forehead, and Lance was surprised that it didn’t bother him. Lotor was still not his favorite person, but he’d by far proved himself to be trustworthy.

 

“Lance,” she whispered, pushing herself into a sitting position. It took effort, her limbs felt like lead.

 

Lance stirred, his hair still mussed with sweat and sleep. Allura realized that he probably hadn’t even returned to his own room to shower.

 

“’Lura?” he slurred, blinking slowly to clear the sleep from his eyes.

 

“You stayed,” Allura said, bewildered. He should have gone to his own bed, slept off the battle in comfort instead of on the floor.

 

Lance made a disgruntled noise and climbed to his feet so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. The blue eyes that held Allura’s didn’t waver.

 

“Of course I stayed,” Lance said, like it was simple.

 

Allura stared for a long moment before shoving the blankets off and pushing to her knees. She leaned, capturing Lance’s mouth with her own before he fully processed what hit him. The soft whimper he made against her lips had Allura dragging him as close as she could manage. Tentative fingers found their way into Allura’s thick hair and the tension flowed out of her.

 

Lance pulled back first, pupils blown wide and the sweetest grin Allura had ever seen plastered to his face.

 

“I thought we were gonna talk about this?” Lance said, gently teasing.

 

“We can talk,” Allura agreed, tracing the slope of his shoulders with an idle finger. “I think I need to sleep a bit more though,” she admitted.

 

The tiredness still lingered in her limbs, and most heavily in her head and chest.

 

“Then sleep,” Lance said gently.

 

“You’re not going to leave?” Allura asked.

 

Lance shook his head and shifted so that he could settle properly beside her on the bed. Allura settled down and the fingers where back in her hair, untangling it and weaving it into elaborate braids. The feeling pulled a soft, contented sigh from her. It’d been so long since someone had done that for her, and before she knew it, she was asleep again.

 

***

 

“Who do you think will sleep longer, Keith and Shiro, or Lance and Allura?” Pidge asked Hunk through a mouthful of cookie.

 

They were in the kitchen, taking advantage of the silence in the castle to just relax. Lotor had departed in Sincline to take Honerva’s body somewhere for mourning and burial. Coran was making adjustments to the castle, and the generals were cooling their heels in containment until Lotor had time for them. Krolia was at the stove cooking something that had more of Hunk’s attention than Pidge did.

 

“Huhhhh,” Hunk mused. “I mean Allura’s magic needs to recover, so that’s my bet is on her.”

 

“You don’t think that Keith and Shiro will take advantage and hide from us to snuggle?” Pidge said thoughtfully.

 

Krolia snorted, stirring the pot. Pidge flicked a grin her way and received a half smile in return from Krolia.

 

“I don’t think we’ll see either pair any time soon,” Krolia said lightly. “Besides, we all deserve some rest.”

 

“Ugh, you’re not wrong,” Pidge agreed. “My shoulders hurt like hell. Lotor’s generals are far too good at what they do.”

 

Krolia was silent at that, and Pidge squinted at her. Hunk, taking advantage of Krolia’s distraction, peered into the pot.

 

“You’re cooking for them, aren’t you?” Pidge asked and tried not to sound grumpy about it.

 

“Yes, I am,” Krolia said evenly. “This is classic Galra-fare. They do need to eat, after all.”

 

“Uh huh,” said Pidge shrewdly. “And this has nothing to do with the little chats you have with Axca.”

 

Hunk paused over the pot, watching with interest.

 

Krolia stiffened, then sighed. There was no use trying to hide things from Pidge, and she had planned on telling them anyway. “Promise you will not say anything to Keith until I speak to him first?”

 

Pidge frowned but nodded.

 

“Axca is my sister-daughter. I believe you use the term _niece_?” Krolia said. “Which makes her Keith’s cousin.”

 

Pidge blinked owlishly. “No frickin way.”

 

Hunk sucked a hissing breath in through his teeth. “Whoa, isn’t she the one Keith saved in the Weblum? I thought she seemed familiar.”

 

Krolia made a face, “They met in a Weblum?”

 

“I’m not one hundred percent certain,” Hunk amended. “The person in the Weblum was wearing a mask.”  

 

Krolia pursed her lips. “I’m not sure how they’ll take it. My sister… she stayed loyal to the Galra, and it killed her. I suppose it’s not surprising that Axca fell in with Lotor.”

 

“It’ll be fine,” Pidge reassured her, moving to lean into Krolia’s side. She barely came to Krolia’s ribs, but Krolia ruffled an affectionate hand through her hair.

 

“We’ll see,” Krolia murmured.

 

***

 

“Kashi, you’re hogging the blanket,” Keith whined, tugging on where Shiro had rolled over and taken most of the blanket with him.

 

Shiro’s chuckle made Keith’s hear flutter. “Come get it then,” he teased, tightening his grip.

 

Keith wriggled close, pressing up against Shiro’s back in an attempt to steal some of his body heat. He slid one cold hand over Shiro’s side to his stomach, prompting a yelp.

 

“Okay popsicle-hands, c’mere,” Shiro grumbled playfully, turning over abruptly so that he could encase Keith in his blanket cocoon.

 

Keith laughed softly, feeling his way up Shiro’s torso until his palms cradled Shiro’s cheeks.

 

“Hi,” he whispered into the hushed warmth.

 

Shiro smiled, scooting closer so that he could place a kiss on Keith’s nose. “Hey there,” he answered, tugging Keith against him.

 

Keith swept his thumbs along Shiro’s cheekbones then down his jaw before dropping his hands to rest along Shiro’s sides. Strong arms settled around him and Keith hummed, content as he tucked his head against Shiro’s chest and tangled their legs together.

 

“We’re not getting up any time soon,” Keith warned Shiro.

 

Shiro’s chuckle made his chest shake under Keith’s ear, but it was a sensation Keith wouldn’t trade the world for. “Wouldn’t dream of it, baby.”

 

Keith stilled at the pet name, and Shiro had some instant regrets. “Ah, sorry, if you don’t like it I can—” he began, but was cut off by the insistent kiss Keith captured him with.

 

It was so easy, lounging in bed and kissing Keith like there was nowhere in the world they needed to be. There probably was, but the world could wait for a bit. They shared several long, slow kisses before snuggling up and drifting back off again. No one was going anywhere until Keith was content that they both were fully rested.

 

***

 

Hunk was wrong. Allura emerged first, with Lance practically stumbling after her. She found the other paladins, Coran, and Krolia in the lounge.

 

“We need to close the rift,” Allura said before anyone could ask her how she was feeling.

 

“But Haggar is defeated? Isn’t it over?” Coran ventured hopefully.

 

Krolia’s expression was tight but sympathetic. Allura’s brows were drawn together, and Lance looked unhappy. Allura had known since the moment she’d cleansed the corrupted quintessence from Haggar that they hadn’t eliminated the source of the problem, but she’d passed out before she’d been able to convey this message.

 

“The corruption that I purged from Honerva came from the rift,” Allura said shortly. “We must close it before it poisons anything else.”

 

“Can we close it?” Pidge asked, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. “I mean, it is a space anomaly, right? Are we talking about something like making it close in on itself?”

 

Allura bit down on her lip, ignoring the concerned gaze Lance flicked her way. “Lotor has done the most research on it, I’m not entirely sure.”

 

“Lotor is mourning his mother at the moment,” Hunk pointed out gently.

 

Allura sighed, “I know. We can give him a little more time while we rest. I am not back to full strength, but he knows what kind of threat we face.”

 

Lance reached over and casually twined his fingers through Allura’s. “We’ll fix it,” he promised, missing the glances exchanged by Hunk and Pidge because his entire focus was on Allura.

 

Hunk clapped a hand over Pidge’s mouth, nearly obscuring her whole face, before she could squeal and call Lance out. “We’re the paladins of Voltron, of course we’ll fix it,” Hunk said with just enough strength to draw a small quirk of a smile from Allura.

 

“You have never let me down,” Allura agreed fondly.

 

***

 

Keith’s glare was so sleepy that Lance could hardly take him seriously. Even Shiro was having trouble, all he wanted to do was kiss Keith’s forehead and tuck him back into bed.

 

“What do you mean, we have to close the rift,” Keith growled, purple eyes narrowed.

 

Allura’s mouth had an unhappy set to it. “I mean that if we don’t close it, the same thing that corrupted Honvera and Zarkon could corrupt other beings.”

 

Lotor, who had returned late in the night, frowned at the floor. The bags under his eyes were pronounced, but he stood firm. “Allura is right. We cannot let anyone or anything else be corrupted.”

 

“Then what do you propose we do?” Pidge asked, perched in her chair with her glasses shoved high up her nose.

 

“We collapse it,” Lotor said flatly. “We’ll need both Voltron and Sincline to do it, it will take a lot of power.”

 

Allura’s gaze briefly shuttered at this and Lance’s lips made a thin line.

 

“I will speak to my generals, they will help me with Sincline. Allura, you should be in Voltron,” Lotor said flatly. “You can channel your energy through the lions.”

 

“What if she passes out like she did last time?” Lance cut in, eyes glinting.

 

Lotor regarded him, and Hunk chimed in quietly, “He’s not wrong. She was out cold for almost a full quintaint after the power drain from Honerva.”

 

“Fly together in the Blue lion then,” Lotor said, and nodded toward Shiro and Keith. “They have flown Black together, and their combined quintessence increased the lion’s power, yes?”

 

“It might not work like that for us,” Allura protested wearily.

 

“No, Allura, I think he might be right,” Coran said, thoughtfully dragging a finger along his mustache. “Both of you are connected to the Blue lion. If nothing else, Lance can pilot safely if you pass out.”

 

Keith looked intrigued, “It could work.” He flicked his gaze up to Shiro, who nodded slowly.

 

“Allura, if your power is needed to close the rift, this is the best way to do it,” Shiro said, just a hint apologetic.

 

Allura looked resigned. “Then we will do it. Give me another quintaint and I’ll be ready.”

 

***

 

While Allura rested, the rest of the team was busy. Shiro, who had managed to avoid Kuron thus far, was immensely relieved when Pidge took Kuron back to Olkarian. He’d kept back from the team, especially Keith, who despite everything didn’t have the heart to hold the fight against Kuron. None of them liked seeing the unhappy slump in Kuron’s shoulders, and Pidge privately thought that returning him to the planet where he’d found peace was best. It also allowed her to see if the Olkarian had any suggestions for closing the rift.

 

“Do you think this is it, finally?” Lance asked Hunk quietly.

 

Hunk had his head in the control panel of one of the castle’s weapons systems, and Allura’s mice were crowded around to help. He grunted, scooting out just enough to be able to meet Lance’s eyes.

 

“There’s no wood for me to knock on, but yeah Lance, I think maybe it is.” Hunk let out a wistful breath, “I’m ready to see my mom, and my sister.”

 

Lance’s brows furrowed. “I miss my family,” he murmured, half to himself.

 

But there was someone new, Allura, added to the collection of people in his heart. She would be busy even after the war, and Lance was unsure what that meant for him.

 

“What do you think will happen after?” Lance asked after a long silence. “To Voltron I mean.”

 

Hunk scrunched his nose up thoughtfully, “Well, even with Zarkon defeated, I think there will always be bad guys to stop and people who need help. Maybe on a lesser scale than what we’re used to?”

 

Lance worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “There’s a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done. Earth needs to be caught up to speed, though hopefully Sam Holt is helping with that.”

 

Hunk hummed thoughtfully, “There’s no doubt that Shiro and Keith will stay with Voltron, I don’t know that there’s anything on Earth for them to go back to. I think you, Pidge, and I will find a way to stay with Voltron but still see our families more.” He raised an assessing eyebrow at Lance. “I know I want to continue seeing Shay, and you have certain lady on your mind I’m sure.”

 

Lance made a face at him and wondered how Hunk always managed to read him so easily. “You think Pidge will stay as well?”

 

Hunk snorted, “With all the stuff she’s seen out here in space, do you think she or Matt would be content to just kick it on Earth?”

 

Lance managed a small smile, “No, they wouldn’t, you’re probably right.”

 

“I’m always right,” Hunk corrected him. “Now shoo, I need to fix this before Pidge gets back.”

 

***

 

Keith wasn’t sure why Krolia looked nervous, nor why she felt the need to bring him down here in the first place. While Keith hadn’t had the negative interactions with Lotor’s generals that the rest of the team had, he still was leery of them.

 

“Keep an open mind please,” Krolia said as they rounded the corner.

 

Only one figure waited for them, but as Keith took in their features, he hissed “You!” as Axca exclaimed, “Him?!”

 

Krolia looked between them. “Keith, this is your cousin Axca. Axca, Keith.”

 

“We’ve met,” Keith said shortly, and Axca made a face at him.

 

“I did save your life,” she pointed out.

 

“I saved yours first!” Keith retorted.

 

Krolia growled, “Behave, kits.”

 

Axca, raised by the Galra to respect her elder family members, shut her mouth.

 

Keith, who had no such upbringing despite Kolivan’s desperate attempts to instill it in him, was still bristling, “What do you mean, she’s my cousin?”

 

Krolia’s stare was flat, “I mean I had a sister, and she had a child.”

 

Krolia’s tone, and the implication that came heavily with the past tense was enough to settle Keith at last. He and Axca eyed each other suspiciously.

 

“You do not need to be best friends, I just wanted the both of you to know that you had family,” Krolia said quietly.

 

Keith swallowed around the lump in his throat and offered his hand to Krolia, a comforting gesture they’d adopted. Axca watched them and Keith narrowed his eyes, daring her to pass judgment on him.

 

She didn’t.

 

Instead she blinked once, then twice, and her expression settled into something tired and sad. A murmured phrase tumbled out of Axca’s mouth in the Galra language. Keith didn’t understand, but he felt some of the tension ease out of Krolia.

 

“Well, let’s try not to all get killed closing a rift before we get to family bond,” Axca said decisively.

 

Keith squeezed Krolia’s hand and didn’t bother to answer as Axca walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, so that first lil bit is some of my favorite imagery out of this entire thing. Shiro and Krolia napping on each other while waiting for Keith to wake up is just, I dunno, been a visual that stuck with me writing this fic.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins close the rift and return to Earth.

Allura was beginning to think that she’d never be fully rested again in this lifetime. She felt much, much better if she were to be fair, but there was a nagging exhaustion that clung stubbornly to her. One deep breath and Allura shook it off, she could be tired later. There were no lingering goodbyes this time. Krolia hugged Keith so hard his ribs popped, and Shiro smacked a fierce kiss on Keith’s lips while Allura gave Coran’s arm a reassuring squeeze. Pidge and Hunk were silent and stoic, as was Lance, who followed Allura into Blue’s cockpit without a word.

 

A faint smile pulled at Allura’s lips as Blue’s warmth engulfed her. Lance watched her for a long moment as she sank into the seat. She turned questioning eyes up to him as she settled her hands on the controls, and he smiled at her.   


“You can do this, Allura. I’ve got your back,” Lance said, and his confidence was an additional layer to Blue’s embrace.

 

Between the two of them and Coran’s loyal love, the pain of her father’s death was becoming fractionally less intense. Alfor’s death would always hurt, and she’d miss him for her entire life, but she was no longer quite so alone. There were a lot of people she wanted to fight for.

 

Allura squared her shoulders and they shot off into space. One by one the rest of the team came online, Shiro last as Black claimed its rightful place. Tension rippled through Blue as she sensed Allura’s anticipation, and it was reflected in the other lions.

 

“Alright team, are we ready to finish this?” Shiro’s voice was solid, so nearly tangible that Keith felt half-sure that he was in Red’s cockpit as well.

 

Their response once one unanimous yell, primal and full of hope.

 

Shiro bared his teeth in a fierce grin. “Form Voltron!”

 

Keith couldn’t help the love and pride that threatened to spill out of his chest as Red locked into place. He was unbelievably proud of Shiro. Of all of them.

 

Sincline dropped in beside them as Voltron swung around to face the rift. It was a great, rippling entity that made Keith nauseous to look at. It was cheesy, but all Keith could think about was that it looked as if someone had torn a piece of cloth, leaving jagged edges and a gaping hole. There was something ominous about its depths that made set Keith’s teeth on edge. Better not to get too close.  

 

“Ready?” Lotor asked grimly over the comms.

 

“Go,” said Shiro, and they shot forward.

 

Without prompting Hunk used his bayard to form the shoulder cannon. “On the count of three…”

 

Keith gritted his teeth as the beam, combined with Sincline’s, ripped into the rift. It shuddered, and Keith let the energy Voltron was pulling for slip from him. Shiro grunted and it was echoed by Hunk.

 

“Hang on,” Shiro gritted out.

 

Allura’s eyes were clenched shut as she channeled every scrap of energy she had left into the beam. Her body trembled with the effort, but it was too much.

 

“I can’t,” she gasped softly, too quiet for the comms to pick up, but enough for Lance.

 

He crouched next to her, placing a hand on her forearm and squeezing. “Allura, you can do this. Pull some of my energy if you have to.”

 

She took a trembling breath, head hung low but shoulders squared. Allura gave everything she had, drawing a bit of energy from Lance as she did so. It flowed between them where he gripped her arm, and he inhaled sharply. Allura was no longer fully aware of what was going on around her as her entire focus was on closing the rift. She missed the way that Lance put an arm around her shoulders to support her.

 

“It’s working!” Pidge yelled.

 

Keith smiled grimly as Pidge activated the contraption the Olkari had helped her build. Now that the rift had begun to collapse in on itself, the device sped the process up as Pidge launched it into the center of the rift. It was both fascinating and terrifying to watch as space folded in on itself.

 

Allura’s last pulse of energy and a blast from Sincline finished it, and Allura passed out as the rift closed at last, blinking out of existence. Lance kept her from tumbling out of her seat, easing her into his lap so that he could take Blue’s controls. There was a ripple of energy that shot outwards from where the rift had been, and it sent Voltron tumbling backwards. Shiro steadied them and they lingered for a long moment, just staring. No one spoke. They were exhausted, and reeling from the fact that finally, it was over.

 

***

 

“Are we sure that landing the castle ship practically on top of the Garrison is a good idea?” Hunk asked nervously. “I mean Commander Holt knows we’re coming, but what if they shoot at us anyway?”

 

“They won’t shoot at us, Hunk,” Shiro reassured him calmly. He had an arm around Keith’s shoulders, but Keith did not look particularly thrilled to be returning to Earth at all.

 

They’d taken several quintaints after closing the rift to rest and for Allura to arrange a diplomatic meeting with Earth. The rest of the known universe would have to wait until they got back, but they’d left the coalition in Kolivan’s capable hands. Matt had joined them, and was holed up somewhere with Pidge, probably working off their excitement over seeing their parents again.

 

Lance stood next to Allura as she piloted the castle, his homesickness plain on his face. While Keith wasn’t enthusiastic about returning to Earth, he was happy that Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, who all had family, would finally get to be reunited. It’d been a long road to get here, and they’d been away for far too much time.

 

Shiro pressed his lips to the side of Keith’s head and Keith looked up, questioning. “Want to take a walk?” Shiro asked quietly.

 

Keith nodded and they peeled off from the group, wandering aimlessly through the hallways. He hadn’t seen Krolia since breakfast, be he guessed that she was probably working off her own feelings about returning to Earth. From what he understood, she hadn’t been back since she’d left him there so many years ago.

 

“Keith…” Shiro said, interrupting Keith’s train of thought. He pulled Keith to a gentle stop and cradled Keith’s face in his massive palms. “I know Earth has not been kind to you. I know that humans have not been kind to you, but I’m with you every step, okay?”

 

Keith leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering shut. Shiro wasn’t wrong. He had no desire to see anyone from the Garrison, not after the way they’d treated him when the Kerberos mission went missing.

 

“Do I have to apologize to Iverson?” Keith mumbled, opening his eyes again to hold Shiro’s gray ones.

 

A wry grin tugged at Shiro’s lips. “For diplomatic purposes, yes. I’m not going to ask you to forgive him though, Keith.”

 

Keith huffed, “Good, because I don’t know if I can.”

 

Shiro placed a kiss on the tip of Keith’s nose. “We’ve defeated an entire alien empire and closed a space anomaly. I think we can handle some bureaucratic red tape.”

 

Keith turned his face up for a kiss. “I can do anything as long as I’m with you,” he murmured.

 

Shiro brought their lips together, and they spent the last bit of their journey back to Earth kissing in an empty hallway. Shiro thought it was rather fitting

 

***

 

Commander Holt was waiting for them on the ground when the castle ship finally set down on desert soil. Pidge and Matt were out first, practically tackling their father with hugs. The military brass that waited with him looked scandalized, but the Holt siblings had never cared for authority anyway. They surely weren’t going to start caring now.

 

Allura went next, with Lance at her side and Hunk a step behind. Keith and Shiro were last, shoulder to shoulder in solidarity, so close that they brushed when they walked. Keith very much wanted to hold Shiro’s hand, but he didn’t want to give the brass any more reason to go after him.

 

“Shirogane?” Someone called to call Shiro to attention.

 

He slowed his pace, Keith with him, and arched a brow, but he didn’t salute. “Yes?”

 

“Disrespectful,” another brass muttered, drawing Shiro’s gaze.

 

“Will all due respect, sir, I ceased to be a member of this institution when you declared me dead in space,” Shiro said, the picture of politeness. The glint in his eye gave him away, and Keith was trying desperately to keep a straight face.

 

“How about we reunite the paladins with their families,” Allura interjected before anyone could throw hands.

 

There was a long pause, and the man that Shiro knew to be the highest-ranking officer there locked Allura into a stare-down. Unsurprisingly, Allura won and the man was forced to look away. Pity. Even Pidge couldn’t beat Allura in a stare-down.

 

“Follow us,” he said stiffly, turned to lead the way across the dry plain that they’d set the castle on.

 

“One moment,” Allura said. “We have people that would also like to join us.”

 

Keith turned as Allura commed the castle, watching as Krolia and Coran strode down to join them. Immediately the brass around them tensed, hands going to their holsters as they took in Krolia. Keith snarled and Shiro gripped his bicep, holding him back.

 

“At ease,” Shiro snapped. “Neither of them is a threat.”

 

There was uneasy grumbling, but when Allura added her glare to the mix, they settled. Krolia arched an unimpressed eyebrow as she stopped at Keith’s side, effectively making a Keith-sandwich between her and Shiro. Their heights made him look even smaller than he was, which Lance was having trouble not laughing about.

 

“Gentleman,” Krolia said coolly, drawing looks of shock.

 

Shiro privately thought she did it for the effect of spooking the brass with her ability to speak their language. It was incredibly amusing. Coran joined Allura, and finally they went to reunite with the families.

 

A collection of people waited for them at the gates, large enough that Keith faltered a step. Lance and Hunk surged forward, though Pidge kept a more reasonable pace with her father and Matt. It worked out because Coleen came running, dragging her two children into a hug that was bracketed by Sam.

 

Lance barely got two steps out of the gate before his family engulfed him. Brothers, sisters, his parents… Keith lost sight of him very quickly.

 

Hunk reunited with his mom, older sister, and nieces and nephews. He was wrapped up in his mother’s embrace, with nieces and nephews tangled around his knees. His mother was tall enough that Shiro could see her face over Hunk’s shoulder. There was granite in her gaze, but the laugh lines around her mouth betrayed her better nature. Hunk’s temperament made a whole lot of sense, considering his family.

 

Iverson skirted around the families and approached Shiro and Keith. Keith tensed, and the both of them shifted to stand protectively in front of Krolia despite her grumbling protest that she could handle herself. Keith had no intention of letting Iverson get anywhere near her. Still, there was something he needed to do.

 

Keith cleared his throat, which had gone drier than the desert surrounding them. “I—” he began his apology, but Iverson cut him off.

 

“No, I owe you an apology,” Iverson said, and flicked his gaze to Shiro, who stared impassively back at him. “I owe both of you an apology.”

 

Keith knew that Shiro and Iverson had a history, and he waited to see how Shiro would deal with this apology.

 

Shiro let out a long, slow breath. “It was a bad situation all around, and I don’t know that any of us handled it correctly, so I appreciate your apology.”

 

Iverson’s expression was thoughtful, and his gaze flickered to Keith, seeming to expect a comment from the peanut gallery. Keith only raised an eyebrow. Abruptly, Iverson let out a rumbling laugh.

  
“Boy have the pair of you changed,” he said, and peered up at Krolia. “And who’s this?”

 

“My mother,” Keith said evenly.

 

Iverson’s eyebrows would have reached his hairline had he any hair to speak of. “Well that explains more than it doesn’t.”

 

Shiro lifted his shoulders in a shrug, and Krolia narrowed her eyes. Keith smiled innocently.

 

“I guess we have some catching up to do, if the pair of you, and you m’am,” he said, nodding at Krolia, “Don’t mind.”

 

Shiro smiled wryly, “I think we owe that to you at least.”

 

Iverson frowned. “The five of you owe me nothing, Shiro. If I’m to be blunt, you don’t owe this whole damn planet anything.”

 

There was a long pause and Shiro drew in a breath. Surprisingly, it was Keith that spoke.

 

“Maybe we don’t owe this planet anything, but we will still protect it,” Keith said, quiet but firm.

 

It earned him an appraising gaze from Iverson but Shiro beamed, threading their fingers together.

 

“I think I severely underestimated the both of you,” Iverson muttered, and led them off for debriefing.

 

***

 

The meetings were long and annoying, but Shiro kept ahold of Keith’s hand under the table the entire time. Shiro, Keith, and Allura had taken the bullet of going through debriefing so that the rest of the paladins could go off with their families. The others would have to go through meetings as well, but for now, Shiro was glad that they could be reunited with the people they loved. Krolia and Coran, after some questioning, were allowed to go back to the castle. Krolia was more than happy to escape, Keith could tell her patience was fraying, but Coran had to be coaxed.

 

When the meetings wrapped up late in the evening and they were finally allowed to leave, Shiro and Keith headed for the door. They fully intended to go back and enjoy the peace and quiet of their room in the castle, but Iverson stopped them.

 

“I have it on good authority that the hoverbike we recovered from the desert is in hangar four,” Iverson said out of the corner of his mouth.

 

He was gone before either of them could respond, but Keith looked up at Shiro, eyes gleaming.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed to the silent question. “Let’s do it.”

 

They quietly informed Allura of their intentions, and then ah, snagged the hoverbike. Shiro let Keith drive, and soon they were whipping across the desert. He tightened his arms around Keith as they veered off down a familiar path. For a moment they were just two young cadets again, breaking curfew for the thrill of the night. It passed, and Shiro let the wistfulness go. They’d suffered, yes, but they had each other and a whole life ahead of them.

 

At some point they stopped and climbed onto a rock to watch the stars rise in the sky. The temperature was dropping off, as it tended to do in the desert at night. Keith pressed close to Shiro, head nestled on his shoulder and Shiro’s arms around him. They were quiet, no words needed. As Keith sought out the familiar constellations, he knew in his gut that it would be a long while before they returned to Earth, and he was okay with that. There were a lot of places, and a lot of planets he still wanted to see.

 

Keith was even more okay with Shiro kissing him long and slow until they were both breathless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All that's left is the epilogue now! I'm probably going to say this one hundred more times, but thank you all so much for your love on this fic <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro's future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I threw in a bonus Lance/Allura scene that didn't make it into the last chapter, and the rest is my boys being precious :D I hope you guys enjoy the fluff, writing and sharing this has been a joy. Thank you so much to everyone who's left comments, kudos, or simply came along for this ride, you're the best <3

*BONUS SCENE*

 

Allura wasn’t sure what to make of Lance’s family. They were incredibly alike in some ways, but so very different in others. She held back as they swarmed him, hands tucked behind her back and uncharacteristically unsure. Glimpses of Lance slipped through between the tangled limbs, and Allura was fairly certain she caught the glimmer of tears in his eyes. Something warm settled in Allura’s chest, the reunions going on all around her were a reminder of why she’d fought as hard as she had for peace. So that others could be reunited with their families, even if she couldn’t be.

 

“Lance!” someone scolded. Allura thought it might have been his grandmother, as a gentle smack to the back of his head accompanied it. “Why didn’t you introduce us to the nice young lady? Where are your manners?”

 

Lance rubbed the back of his head, pouting as he waded through his massive family toward Allura. She watched the proceedings with wide eyes. Allura was used to large gatherings, but large families were something completely foreign to her. It had always been just her and her parents, and then her and Alfor when her mother passed.

 

“I would have, abuela, had you lot not swarmed me before I got the chance,” he grumbled, but the affection in his tone gave him away.

 

He reached Allura and took her hand, guiding her into the mix. There were family members of all ages, ranging from Lance’s grandmother all the way down to his elder brother’s children.

 

“Family, this is Allura. Allura, meet my family,” Lance said.

 

The smile that stretched across his face held a thousand different things. No wonder he’d been so homesick, Allura could easily see how much these people meant to him.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Allura said politely, her own smile genuine.

 

“Lance, I have no idea how you landed such a pretty girl,” his younger sister quipped, smirking.

 

This earned her a scowl from Lance’s mother and admonishment from his grandmother.

 

“Veronica, play nice,” his grandmother scolded, and reached up to cup Allura’s chin.

 

It was a stretch, Allura wasn’t short, but she met and held the deep brown eyes that settled on her face. There was a long pause, but Allura didn’t flinch. It must have been a test, because suddenly Allura was on the receiving end of a toothy grin.

 

“I like her already,” Lance’s grandmother said, sneaking Allura a wink before letting go.

 

Allura laughed as Lance turned bright red. “Yeah, well, I figured you would,” Lance mumbled.

 

The eldest brother, Marco, provided a distraction by hassling the youngest, Luis, until he squirmed. Lance’s mother heaved a deep sigh.

 

“Boys,” she said, in a tone that had both of them playing at innocence.

 

Lance slid his arm around Allura’s waist. “How about we head home and make some dinner? Shiro and Keith promised they’d buy us some time to spend with you guys.”

 

Allura flicked him a gaze, questioning. Lance had been talking incessantly about how much he wanted her to meet his family, but she also didn’t want to intrude on what she knew was going to be an emotional event.

 

“No, you’re coming Allura,” Lance said quietly, tugging her close and pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

 

Roughly ten sets of eyes focused on them, and Allura tried not to fidget as she leaned into the touch. Lance huffed and muttered something under his breath. Thankfully they ceased, and Allura ended sandwiched between Lance and Victoria in some sort of Earthen vehicle. It was a decent trip to Lance’s home, but Allura was entertained simply by listening to Lance and Veronica bicker back and forth.

 

Veronica quickly tired of this and turned to Allura. “So where are you from? Your hair is beautiful.”

 

Allura managed a small smile, absently toying with a loose strand. “My home planet is Altea, but it no longer exists.”

 

“I’m sorry,” came the quiet response, and then “It figures that the only girl who would want to date my brother is an alien.”

 

Lance groaned, but Allura lifted a curious eyebrow. “We didn’t get along at first, he’s awful at flirting,” Allura confided in a stage whisper.

 

Veronica smothered her giggles behind her hand. “Yes he is.”

 

“Your brother is very brave though, we’ve fought side by side in war, and he’s saved my life countless times,” Allura said, her tone shifting to something more serious.

 

Lance sought out her hand and tangled their fingers together. “What she’s not telling you is how many times she saved _my_ life.”

 

Veronica’s brows pinched together, and she was quiet the last fifteen minutes of the drive, lost in her own thoughts.

 

Dinner was… Allura had no words for the experience of cooking with a large family. She had very little knowledge about cooking, but somehow small jobs were found for her and she was included in what could only be described as an elaborate dance. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were needed, and they never collided.

 

When dinner was finished, Lance snuck them outside while cleanup began. There was going to be family time once the dishes were cleaned, but Lance wanted a moment alone with Allura. The stars where high in the sky and Allura tugged him close.

 

“You’re not overwhelmed, are you?” Lance asked nervously. “I know they’re a lot to take in.”

 

Allura shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she promised. “This is so different from what I’m used to, but I love it. I love them.”

 

Lance grinned, drawing her in for a kiss which she returned enthusiastically. “I’m glad, they like you too.”

 

Allura hummed a laugh at that and kissed him soundly until someone called them back inside.

***

 

Keith was content with his life. It was something he’d never thought possible, but he had Shiro, he had his friends, and he had his mother. The initial transition of the known universe to Allura’s new form of energy was less than smooth. People fought them at every turn, and Voltron was called out not a few times to settle disputes. It was tedious, but as Shiro gently reminded him when they crawled into bed at night exhausted from the meetings, it was progress. Pidge and Hunk went back and forth between Earth often; the new gadgets they created to work with the new energy helped smooth the process along.

 

Lance had gotten good at the politics side of things, which Keith thought was probably due to the sheer amount of time he spent with Allura. That relationship had formed quietly, but Keith privately agreed with Pidge’s assessment of how Lance and Allura balanced each other out.

 

Now, two phoebes after the closing of the rift, things were settled. Keith and Shiro spent a lot of time travelling, but eventually they always found their way back to the castle ship. With the permission of the Erusians, Allura decided to use Arus as the main base for the castle when it wasn’t needed elsewhere. Lately it’d been stationary for long enough that Shiro thought that they might finally be done. Perhaps it was time to finally settle down, or at least as close to settling down as either he or Keith had in them.

 

“Keith?”

 

“Hmmmm?”

 

Shiro turned over on the rock they were stargazing on so that he could face Keith. Arus had a different atmosphere than Earth, and the stars that glinted above them were unfamiliar. Shiro liked it though, and liked the way Keith’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked up at them.

 

“Will you marry me?” Shiro asked without prelude, his voice breaking the easy silence.

 

There had been a time when thinking about proposing to Keith made Shiro unbearably nervous, but that was long in the past. These days they were comfortable and secure in their feelings, and Shiro wouldn’t doubt Keith for a second.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to have a ring for me?” Keith asked, amused.

 

Shiro shrugged sheepishly. “I wanted Hunk to make it, but you know how that would go. Everyone would know because Hunk would tell Pidge, and I wanted to have the chance to ask without them ruining it.”

 

“Hmmm,” Keith hummed, twisting so that he could sneak a kiss onto the corner of Shiro’s mouth. “You’re not wrong about their blabbing.”

 

Shiro waited patiently as Keith turned the idea over in his head.

 

“Let’s get married,” Keith murmured, a smile splitting his face into an expression that had become more commonplace over the years: genuine happiness.

 

“I’ll ask Hunk to make the wedding bands,” Shiro promised, grinning hard enough to make his cheeks hurt.

 

“Uh huh. I think you should be the one to tell Mom though,” Keith said with a low chuckle.

 

Shiro snorted, “You say that like it’s a punishment. She loves me.”

 

Keith leaned into Shiro’s shoulder. “True, she does,” he agreed softy. It still amazed him sometimes, that he had these people that loved him.

 

“Keith,” Shiro said, with enough intensity that Keith twisted to look him in the eye. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Takashi,” Keith answered, and god if his heart didn’t beat in time with the way Shiro’s full name rolled off his tongue. “Forever and always.”

 

Shiro pulled Keith into a searing kiss that made the both of them very glad that no one was around to see.

 

***

 

Keith and Shiro’s wedding was a quiet affair in comparison to Lance and Allura’s. The princess of Altea getting married was a big deal, and her diplomatic role required an extensive guest list. After suffering through it, Keith made Shiro swear that when they finally tied the knot, it would be a small and private gathering. Lance’s family alone had taken up half the guest list for his wedding.

 

“Are you nervous?” Pidge asked Keith the morning of. Matt was off making sure that Shiro was getting dressed as well in another part of the castle.

 

Keith considered the question. “Why would I be? It’s Shiro,” he said finally.

 

Pidge pretended to gag. “You guys are sickeningly sweet.”

 

Keith ignored that. He wasn’t big on the whole ceremony thing, but since only their close friends were attending, he figured it would be bearable.

 

Matt gave Shiro his version of a “pep talk,” which mostly consisted of him reminiscing loudly about the days when Shiro pined hopelessly after Keith at the Garrison. Shiro tuned him out, wondering who had slipped Matt alcohol this early and how he’d get them back for that. It was probably Pidge, damn her. Shiro enjoyed Matt’s company anyway, it felt like they had come full circle, with Matt being his best man as he married Keith.

 

Krolia insisted on escorting Shiro down the aisle first before returning to walk Keith because even if Shiro wasn’t her biological son, she loved him like one anyway. Her grip on Keith’s arm was tight as they walked together, but she was smiling fiercely as she left Keith at Shiro’s side.

 

The ceremony itself was a mixture of Earthen and Galran customs, and they exchanged rings of Hunk’s making. Sliding the ring onto Shiro’s finger felt familiar, like a promise Keith had repeated over and over. Shiro’s eyes glinted with unshed tears as he returned the gesture, and when they finally kissed, the audience had to practically pry them apart. Keith never wanted the taste of Shiro to leave his lips.

 

Lance, after several attempts to goad Keith into a dance-off, was finally kind enough to get them a slow dance. Keith sighed happily and rested his head against Shiro’s chest. Shiro’s arms were draped around him as they swayed, and Keith locked the memory into his mind. This is what pure happiness felt like. Every time Keith thought he couldn’t possibly be any happier, a moment like this came along.

 

Krolia borrowed Keith after the slow dance for what she swore up and down was a traditional Galran wedding dance. Pidge, Lance, and Hunk were laughing into their drinks, but Keith didn’t mind. If this was his mother’s tradition, then he wanted to honor it. He understood their family history now, Krolia had filled him in on the tragedy that had wiped out nearly everyone that she loved. Keith wanted her to be happy, even if that meant doing an embarrassing dance.

 

She eventually returned him to Shiro, who was as ready for bed as Keith was. There was some catcalling about wedding nights that made Krolia cackle and Kolivan bury his face in his hands. Keith didn’t think he’d mind a spicy wedding night, a muttered as much in Shiro’s ear. Shiro turned bright red, setting off another round of catcalling and laughter, which they fled from.

 

The other paladins chased them down the hallway, pelting them with flowers until Keith closed the door safely behind them.

 

“Thank god,” Shiro breathed, loosening his tie.

 

Allura had suggested paladin armor for the ceremony, but Keith wanted to be able to feel Shiro’s warmth.

 

Keith sauntered over to Shiro, shrugging slowly out of his own suit jacket. “Yeah?” he murmured playfully.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed, pulling Keith into a kiss that resulted in them getting tangled up on the bed.

 

Keith was beyond content.

 

The coalition would probably be nosy about their relationship, they always had been, but Keith didn’t care. They could talk all they wanted. This was theirs, and they’d fought so hard to get here.

 

***

 

“Keith, Shiro? Could you come up to the castle immediately?” Allura’s voice drifted out of Shiro’s comm.

 

Keith and Shiro exchanged glances, and Keith set down his hammer.

 

“We’ll be right there, Allura,” Shiro promised.

 

Keith was already headed for the hoverbike he’d brought back from Earth. Shiro slid on behind him, and they took off. They weren’t far from the castle, just within walking distance. At some point after their wedding Shiro had gotten it in his head that he wanted to build a home, a real one, for them on Arus. Keith, because he couldn’t say no to Shiro, agreed. It wasn’t all bad, except for the occasions when Keith got splinters under his nails. The work was hard, but it was the comforting kind of physical labor that helped two men used to fighting relax.

 

Allura was waiting for them when they pulled into the hangar, Coran and Lance on either side of her. Lance had something in his arms, and another small, purple thing clung to Allura’s skirts. Keith took two steps away from the hoverbike then stopped so abruptly that Shiro nearly ran into him.

 

“Keith,” Allura began, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. The small thing holding onto her dress was a child, a Galra girl with huge eyes and ears that reminded him of Krolia’s.

 

Behind him, Shiro drew in a sharp breath.

 

“They’re orphans,” Allura said quietly, her expression the picture of unhappiness.

 

Keith looked to Shiro with a silent question. Shiro’s gaze dropped to the smaller child that Lance held, and he nodded.

 

“Yes,” Keith said firmly.

 

Allura blinked at him. “I didn’t even ask—” she began, but it didn’t matter. The decision was clear in both Shiro and Keith’s faces.

 

Lance passed the smaller girl over to Shiro, who was comically small in his massive arms. He held her close, cooing softly to her as Keith tried to coax the older sister to let go of Allura.

 

“Hi sweetie,” he murmured in the Galran language, holding his hand out to her. He’d learned a fair bit of it over the years from Krolia and from his own studies, and he was passably fluent. Keith didn’t get any closer, letting her take the time to decide what she wanted.

 

When tiny purple fingers curled around his index finger, Keith knew he was a goner for sure.

 

***

 

Parenthood, as it turned out, was not a walk in the park. The girls had a hard time adjusting, and Keith and Shiro were inexperienced. The one mercy was that they were still living in the castle until they finished their house, which meant that there were helpers available. Coran had a knack for getting the baby, Marya, to go to sleep. Trinn, however, much preferred that Keith or Shiro was holding her at all times.

 

It was a mercy when Krolia returned from her trip to teach them the ins and outs of raising a Galra child. This was after she took one look at their exhausted faces and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

 

“Raising Galra children is a job and a half,” she told them, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes.

 

Marya, who was tucked into the crook of Shiro’s arm, reached for her, and Krolia took her with practiced ease.

 

“They’re going to have a rough transition,” Krolia said, her amusement fading. “But I have confidence in the two of you.”

 

Keith let out a breath and adjusted Trinn on his hip. “Bestow your knowledge upon us, _please_.”

 

Even with Krolia’s insight, they still struggled, and struggled often. Grandma Krolia helped them along, but it was Shiro or Keith that got up with a fussy baby in the middle of the night or read bed time stories. Sometimes Shiro woke from a nightmare and would take a lap of the room, checking on the girls before returning to bed to let Keith hold him close.

 

It was worth it though. Keith found Shiro and the girls on the observation deck one evening after he’d been called out to deal with an issue. Shiro was on his back, Marya was nestled on his chest and Trinn was curled gently in his human arm. The three of them were out cold, sleeping peacefully as the stars rose above them. Keith quietly took a picture before lowering himself onto the floor near Shiro’s head.

 

Keith was still trying to wrap his head around this, his _family_ when Shiro cracked an eye open.

 

“Hey,” Shiro mumbled, and Keith leaned over to steal a kiss.

  
“Can you believe we’re this happy?” Keith whispered, and Shiro smiled at him.

 

“Yes. This is ours, Keith. Our little family,” Shiro answered, voice husky with sleep and emotions.

 

Keith smoothed gentle fingers over Trinn’s ears, and then Marya’s head. “I never dreamed that I’d have a family,” Keith admitted into the quiet. “And then I found you, and that was more than enough for me. This though… I love them so much.”

 

Shiro shifted slightly to cradle the children closer. “They’re our girls,” he agreed.

 

“Our family, Takashi. Our family,” Keith said, and let acceptance settle in his chest. He was looking forward to where life would take them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap! Come find me on tumblr, I'll happily field ideas for what to write next!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy! Come find me at carry-a-world on tumblr to yell about these precious boys <3


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